


Grazioso

by jesuisaubergine



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Classical Music, Alternate Universe - Dance, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Music, Alternate Universe - Pianist, Anzu is a dancer, Classical Music, F/M, I didn't even know there were this many alternate universe tags, I think that's all of the tags, Piano, Yami Yugi is a pianist, revolutionshipping - free form
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-01
Updated: 2018-05-01
Packaged: 2019-04-30 18:33:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 26,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14503005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jesuisaubergine/pseuds/jesuisaubergine
Summary: A veteran musician on stage, Yami struggles with his nerves around Tea Gardner. A lucky break gives Yami the chance to get to know the talented dancer in person, as the two learn they both might have more in common than they realized... AU revolutionshipping





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> In my continual process of adding fics from ff over to ao3, I forgot that this was one I did. It's so different from my usual pairings that I forgot that I wrote this lol
> 
> I'm still procrasinating on getting my first fic (thiefshipping au) over here because that's too many damn chapters
> 
> But this one, I forget about. Which is a shame because I love this fic. I have a degree in music, with piano being my primary instrument (insert joke about useless degree here) so it was really fun to just dive head first back into this world after being separated from it for so long #thatyoungadultlife
> 
> That's enough notes for now - enjoy!

Yami flicked eyes momentarily up to the conductor, his hands resting lightly on the keys. He didn't particularly need the cue at this moment, but lord forbid the violinist make another late entrance like in the first act. The syncopated beat was abrupt and could catch even the best musicians off their guard if they weren't careful. Years playing in a pit orchestra failed to teach his fellow musicians that.

Of course, Yami was also the rehearsal pianist, so he had to know the music better than most.

This was their second weekend performing, the city coming out to see the Domino City Theater's rendition of  _West Side Story._  Of all the shows the director had contemplated choosing, Yami had to fight for this one. The damned man was thinking of choosing something that would be more popular with a general audience. Yami hadn't gotten a doctorate in piano performance just so he could play  _Hairspray_. He held himself to a higher standard.

 _It's my fault I got myself into this position._  Yami knew it hadn't been pointless to stick around Domino City. After finishing his doctorate, he had auditioned with several larger bands in the nation. He even had been offered a position with the Baltimore Symphony orchestra. Had he been a smarter man, Yami would've taken the position. Instead, he now performed with a smaller city orchestra, where half the year was delegated to cheap, gaudy musicals.

Yami didn't really mean to come off as a musical snob, but after months of rehearsing cheesy musicals replaced the time spent learning Rachmaninoff and Beethoven, it was hard to be forgiving. Instead of spending the entire year learning legendary classics in music and teaching piano to graduate level students, Yami spent most of his days plunking out simple melodies to singers who could barely read music and teaching finger-benders to elementary school children.

 _I suppose one could do much worse though._  Yami knew he barely had any reason to complain. He at least was still performing, a rare feat for most in his field. It was just agonizing that he had chosen to stay in Domino City. Even though that spark of regret remained, Yami knew if he could go back, he would still make the same decision. Because his desire to advance his career was mitigated for one reason only.

And that reason was Tea Gardner.

No sooner had Yami thought of the beautiful dancer did he catch her moving from the corner of his eye. He gave a small smile, though his attention remained on his music. He would have time to watch her perform once he played his part. The joy of playing with a pit orchestra versus just as a rehearsal pianist is that it did allow the time for him to steal a glance at the performance. Perhaps it was unprofessional, but Tea drew his eye.

He had first seen Tea dance years back when he was still a doctorate student. A regional fine arts competition had been held and Yami had been one of the finalists. From pianists, orchestras, singers, dancers… the competition covered all grounds of arts. Yami had not wasted his time and sought to see other performers in his field. That's when he saw Tea perform initially.

She had been a masters student at the time, but her dancing was so good that it earned her a place as a semi-finalist. Yami had wanted to say something to her then, but didn't know what to say. As luck would have it, Tea came up to him after he performed. She spoke praise of his musicality and finesse. Yami had only nodded dumbly and thanked her. Tea left, but Yami had continued to be frozen in that moment.

Stupid as it was, Yami wanted to get the courage to get to know Tea. When he had heard that she remained in Domino City as a professional dancer and had her own dance studio, Yami decided to move there as well. Tea remembered Yami from the years before and the two had become amiable acquaintances, largely because Yami had no idea how to move things further. Music was difficult, but women were even more so. He had no idea how to approach that prospect.

So Yami resigned himself to playing from afar, watching but never saying anything. Yami sighed internally, turning the pages of his music to his next cue. He glanced up to watch the dance number play out. "Cool" was an odd piece that was difficult for both musicians and dancers alike. Leonard Bernstein had been cruel like that, but when executed correctly, it was a masterwork of ballet and modern music theory.

That mastery had no better subject than Tea herself. Her control over her body in dance was a spectacle to behold. The other dancers tried to match the technique and finesse Tea possessed with unsatisfactory results. To most people viewing the show, she was nothing more than a general cast member, a dancer for the dance numbers. Her role was nothing more than one of the girls hanging out with the Jets.

 _The audience has no idea how incredible she truly is._  Yami smiled to himself, watching as Tea's composed and tight performance would break, a sudden burst of raw expression before quickly catching herself. Tea understood how the music could tell a story. She understood how dancing could express emotional conflict a thousand times better than a well-written line in a musical. Her decisions and choices in dancing were a reflection of her true understanding of what it meant to be an artist.

Too soon, Yami jumped back into the music, his eyes tearing away as he joined the fray. The music was large and bombastic, a fugal rendition of jazz. Tearing back and forth between soft and gentle beat to a fanfare of cacophony, the struggle between control and catharsis battled out across the stage. Grace and rage, flashing out in bursts. Yami flung himself into the piece, filling out the chordal harmonies with a more reasonable range than the trumpets unfair range.

Finally, the piece started to wind down. Yami finished out his jazz riff, descending in pitch with the woodwinds until he faded into nothing. Aside from an occasional musical interjection, the large number was over, the dancers catching their breath as they regained their composure. The group, rather fittingly, ending the number in a collected manner. Yami's eyes trailed back to Tea, her eyes still lost in the moment, still focused on the dance not yet done.

The music faded to silence, the audience applauding when it was all said and down. Yami barely gave it a moment's thought, spotting Tea's silhouette in the darkness. The rest of the musical would pass by, Yami going through the motions. The real spotlight of each performance was being able to see Tea for those few moments in dance. It was in those moments that Yami remembered why he chose to stay.

* * *

Yami packed up his music, folding the binder as he slipped it into his satchel. He let out a sigh – that was another performance down. For the most part, it went without a hitch aside from a few tuning issues and missed entrances. He heard the conductor discussing his issues with the clarinetist and violinist as he packed up. It was best to pack up and leave early before the crowd got to them.

As Yami stepped out from the pit to go backstage, he heard a voice catch his attention. He let out a sigh as he looked back at the director. "Yes, Pegasus?"

The show director with a natural flare for theatrics walked towards him, some patrons in tow. Yami bit back a sigh as the posse walked in his direction. "Yami! Bravo! A most excellent performance my boy! Wouldn't you agree?"

Yami gave a light smile, his expression collected and composed. "As well as one could hope for. I'm glad you enjoyed it sir."

Yami decided not to mention the out-of-tune clarinet during the first act as well as the fact that none of the singers could sing a triton even after weeks of rehearsal. If Pegasus couldn't hear it for himself, then there was no helping him at this point.

Pegasus just smiled, his expression almost childish. "I most certainly did! We'll be the talk of the town. Anyway, I wanted to introduce you to some of the attendees who enjoyed the show. Allow me to introduce you Mr. Parmer and his wife."

Yami greeted the two politely, knowing that Pegasus had an ulterior motive for introducing them. The older couple shook his hand vigorously, as Mrs. Parmer giggled delightfully.

"Fantastic performance tonight! I used to play a little piano in my day! You've very talented! You're so lucky to be so musically gifted" Mrs. Parmer gushed, exchanging a glance with her husband.

Yami's polite expression didn't change, though he felt miffed at the compliment. Talent didn't get him where he was – hard work, training, study and practice got him to where he was. He worked hard in his craft. Luck had nothing to do with it.

"Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed the show tonight." Yami said, his eyes flicking over to Pegasus. Where was this all going?

"Now Yami, Mr. Pegasus tells me that you teach piano as well, is that correct?" Mr. Parmer now spoke, a warm smile on his face.

Yami raised an eyebrow, wondering if this was what this was all about. "I do. I think I see where this is going…"

The couple chuckled as the wife spoke again. "Our granddaughter is a very gifted child, but we've had trouble finding the right piano teacher for her. We were wondering if you might consider taking her on as a student! I know she would flourish under your tutelage. Who knows – maybe she has what it takes to become a concert pianist like yourself?"

Yami said nothing, his eyes locking with Pegasus for a moment.  _So that's what this is all about._  Had Yami been new here, he would have accepted and agreed to take out their grandkid. But he knew Pegasus better than that. Chances were, this was another bratty child who wanted nothing to do with piano. And from the sounds of it, the grandparents just wanted a musician in the family, no matter if the child had any say in it.

And since Pegasus was the one to introduce them to him, he knew exactly why Pegasus was pushing this. He could tell from the couple's appearance that they came from money. Pegasus was playing the role of a kind manager of the arts facility, his heart committed to the community. Yami knew that Pegasus hoped that if Yami pleased the grandparents, he could pull some money out of the old couple to go towards the theatre program. And he wasn't afraid to make whatever promises to get that result.

_Pegasus, you truly are impossible._

Yami just smiled at the couple. "Normally I would, but I'm overbooked with students at this time and I'm simply swamped with my work here with the orchestra. I can ask some of the other piano teachers in the area if they have any openings in their studios, though." The couple seemed slightly disappointed, but nodded in agreement. Yami saw Pegasus staring at him, though Yami knew that Pegasus was likely livid with him. Yami knew he would get away so easily from this conversation.

"Hey, Yami! There you are! We were wondering what took you so long!"

Pegasus started to speak before getting cut off. Yami stared in surprise as Tea scurried across the stage. She had changed out of her costume into a pair of black leggings and a blue t-shirt. She seemed dressed down compared to the well-dressed company around her. Yami was completely speechless, startled by the dancer's sudden appearance.

"Tristan's been waiting for us backstage and you know how irritated he gets when we run lat- oh, hello Mr. Pegasus! Am I interrupting?" Tea asked, a completely innocent look on her face. Yami had no idea where the hell she was doing, but he wasn't about to stop her.

Pegasus just stared, shock evident on his face. "N-no…?" Tea didn't let Pegasus continue, instead grabbing Yami's hand, a large smile on her face.

"Well okay then! Good night Mr. Pegasus. I'll see you tomorrow! Let's go, Yami!" Yami felt himself get pulled by Tea, muttering a quick goodbye as he stumbled after the beautiful dancer. He could feel Pegasus's gaze on his as he left, though he seemed to be struck with bewilderment more than anything else. Yami couldn't care as he held Tea's hand, hoping his face wasn't turning red like he thought it was.

As they trailed further back stage, Tea finally slowed down. She let go of Yami's hand as she turned around, a grin on her face. "Feeling okay back there? You're looking rather spacy."

Yami realized that he had a stupid look on his face. He quickly gathered himself, a smile growing on his face. "Yeah. Thanks for getting me out of that one. Pegasus can be rather overbearing."

Tea just chuckled, placing her hands on her hips. "You don't have to tell me twice. He has delusions of grandeur if you ask me. He fancies himself a true artist when he barely has the ability to keep together a small town show."

Yami laughed at that comment. He was lucky that he was part of the orchestra, which while small, was still a professional music organization. The theatre program in Domino City was smaller and most members with amateur actors and actresses in the role. Pegasus wanted to elevate the theatre program and by extension, himself. Unfortunately, his greed outweighed his actual desire to advance the arts in society as well as his own talent.

Tea, as a professional dancer, outclassed most of her theatre compatriots, though this fact was lost on Pegasus. Obsessed with what's popular instead of what makes good art, she was often lost in the shuffle to Pegasus's agenda. Instead, she resigned herself to smaller roles that didn't allow her push her abilities as an artist. Yami had to wonder if she felt as trapped in her position as he did his.

Yami realized he was staring as he forced himself to look away, noticing the members filing out. "So… uh, thanks again for getting me out of there. I'll go now, then." Yami hated that he sounded stupid. Typically he could keep his composure around others without any problem, detaching himself from the situation. It was harder to do that around Tea.

Tea tilted her head to the side as she grabbed her bag from off her chair. "You aren't going out?"

Yami stopped in his spot, turning back. "Out where?"

Tea just rolled her eyes. "The after party of course. Some of the crew are going down to Snappers down on York Street. You in?"

Yami was hardly one for parties and even less so for the bar scene. But the fact that Tea was inviting him out was more than enough reason to go. This was the longest conversation he's had with her since they first wasn't about let this opportunity pass him up. "Uh, sure. Though I might be overdressed."

Tea just smiled, walking towards the door as Yami followed along. "Don't worry – Ryou's also going, and he doesn't have a change of clothes either. So you'll be fine."

Yami smiled, feeling less nervous and more excited as he exited the building with Tea to head to the after party.


	2. Chapter 2

Yami wasn't entirely sure what he was getting himself into as he hopped in the back of Tristan's car. He barely knew the stagehand, but his driver didn't seem the least bit concerned about the extra stranger in his back seat. Another blonde guy that Yami didn't know sat in the front seat while Tea sat next to himself in the back. He sat quietly, content to listen in on the conversation at hand while trying to ignore how close he sat to Tea.

A few minutes later, Tristan was parked behind a bar, the crew making their way up. Yami walked into, his eyes adjusting to the dim lighting as he followed Tea to the bar. He let out a sigh of relief as he recognized some other cast members, including the cellist from the pit. Yami said a quiet hello to Miho as he sat back at the bar, observing the dynamic of the group.

"Hey, you thirsty?" Tea's question broke Yami's focus. He nodded minutely as Tea ordered a round of shots for them. Yami eyed the shot glass with mild suspicion – it had been some time since he had gone out drinking after concert.

"Never had a fireball before?" Yami heard the blonde guy who he rode over with ask.

Yami just chuckled before downing the shot. "Not in awhile at least."

Tea laughed, her glass also empty. "You need to get out more, Mr. Piano Man."

 _I probably do._  Yami just shrugged, a light smile on his face. It had been quite a while since he had gone out to relax with friends. He hadn't really made many friends moving here, feeling more reserved and standoff-ish than most. He was never great at making friends like his cousin was.

"So do you have a name, Billy Joel?" Yami blinked for a moment before realizing that the blonde guy to his right was still talking to him.

"It's Yami. I'm the keyboardist in the pit."

Blonde just nodded and smirked. "Figured as much what with the nickname. Name's Joey. Your run-of-the-mill carpenter. I build the sets."

Yami nodded, feeling at ease around Joey. He was friendly and honest – he seemed like a nice enough guy. Yami glanced over his shoulder at Tea, who smiled back. She nodded her head over her shoulder to gesture at their ride for the night.

"Tristan is one of our sound technicians. He makes sure our mikes are working and the balance is up to speed." Tristan just raised a glass in greeting, a suspiciously, large grin on his face.

"More like making sure no one hears how pitchy you are when you sing. You should stick to dancing."

Yami was glad that he had enough sense not to laugh at that remark, especially with the evil glare Tea now gave Tristan. "Sure you want to be playing that card now?"

Tristan turned to Joey for support. Joey just shrugged, studying his empty shot glass. "Sorry Tristan. Tea just bought us drinks. Knowing her, this won't be the last round of shots for the night. I'm not about to pass up alcohol to make your point."

Tristan smacked Joey over the head, an unimpressed look on the brunette's face. As if to make her point further, Tea smiled sweetly before grabbing the bartender's attention. "Another round of drinks for me and my two friends over here."

Yami just laughed, happy to watch the three of them tease and hassle each other. Tristan tried to steal Joey's drink, accusing him of being a traitor while Tea downed her second shot of the night without blinking an eye. Though she didn't look it, Tea was a girl who could hold her liquor. Yami was slower to take the shot, not wanting to admit how much of a lightweight he was.

After a few minutes of jabs at each other, Tea led the four of them to a booth away from the bar to give them space. For the most part, Yami sat back listening in on their banter. He learned more by observing their conversation to get a sense of the company currently surrounding him. Joey and Tristan had apparently been friends back in high school and haven't been able to shake the other over the years.

Tea was less pleased to mention how she got to know the two.

"I was practicing on stage before rehearsal when these two morons came in. Tristan mentioned having to work on some measurements and to pay him no mind. I should have suspected something because next thing I know, they're trying to look up my skirt while I was practicing." Tea glared at the two who struggled to keep a straight face.

Yami just raised an eyebrow, a bemused look on his face. "And you remained friends afterwards?"

Tea just shrugged, taking a moment to give Joey and Tristan a look of disdain. "Never said these guys were a class act. But beggars can't be choosers really."

Yami smirked with Tea, hearing the complaints and protests come from the other two. Tea seemed to hold herself just fine. He found himself caught up in the moment, feeling more relaxed than he had in months. Feeling bolder, he ordered a round beer for their table, enjoying the sense of camaraderie he felt. Truth be told, Yami hadn't gone out in weeks, not having spent the time to find people to hang out with.

Thankfully, Tea seemed to make that task much easier for him as she went about introducing him to different members of the show that he hadn't met previously. Yami didn't realize how much of a bubble he lived in until he realized he didn't know most of the people there. Tea seemed to have realized this and took it upon herself to not let Yami live out his life as a lonely hermit.

But if he were being honest, Yami would have been content just spending the entire night with Tea.

Tea was introducing Yami to one of her fellow actors when said-actor's date came by. A bubbly girl with dark brown, curly hair lit up excitedly as she saw Tea. "Oh! I saw you! You were one of those really good dancers!"

Tea quirked a smile, an amused look on her face. "Yeah, I suppose that I qualify."

Tony's date grinned, looking at her boyfriend before speaking to Tea. "I noticed you out of the crowd! You were phenomenal! Talented people like you just leave me speechless, you know?"

If Yami hadn't been watching, he might have missed it. But he caught the look on Anzu's face, the soft gentle look sharpening for a moment. The smile stayed there, but the glow in her eyes changed. Yami knew that look – he mastered that same look himself.

"Well thank you. That means a lot! If you don't mind, I've got other people to introduce Yami to." Tea stated cheerfully, dismissing herself from their company.

Yami followed, noticing that Tea wasn't introducing him to anyone else but instead making her way back to the table. He said nothing as he sat down next to Tea, who remained silent as she took a sip. Yami studied her for a moment longer before grabbing his drink. "It annoys you too, then."

Tea blinked in surprise, glancing over at Yami. "I'm sorry?"

Yami just gave a dour smile, his own annoyance slipping through. "You hate it too. When people tell you you're talented. Even though they're just trying to be nice, you can't stand that compliment."

Tea stared at Yami, her face blushing lightly. She bit her lip as she stared at her rum and coke. After a moment, she sighed, giving a light chuckle. "I know they don't mean to be rude, but I just can't stand it. So many people tell me that I'm so gifted and talented and that's why I'm so good, but it's not! I'm not trying to be ungrateful, but it's just-" Tea struggled to find the words as she vented her frustration.

"… There's a lot of unseen hard work that goes into your craft that most people don't realize." Yami smirked lightly as he looked out into the crowd. Tea glanced up at him, almost surprised that he finished her thought. Embarrassed under her intense blue eyes, Yami just shrugged. "I get my fair share of that same compliment as well. It irritates me too."

Tea sat for a few moments in silence before giggling, a smile growing on her face. Yami liked that sound – Tea had such a charming laugh. "Well, I'm glad you do. It's nice to have another professional around who shares the sentiment."

Yami nodded in agreement, feeling a kindred spirit with Tea. Feeling a bit more confident, Yami decided to broach the topic. "Same. What with our repertoire at the fine arts hall, it's nice to have someone to talk to who has similar taste in music."

Yami caught how Tea rolled her eyes and nodded her head, her exasperation slipping through. "Tell me about it. I'm thankful to have work and I've had worse bosses than Pegasus, but what I wouldn't give to be back in grad school studying dance. Not that West Side Story isn't fun, but you know what's really fun? A good Prokofiev ballet."

Yami laughed at that remark. "I'm getting to the point where I'd settle for anything that's outside the 20th and 21st centuries. Beggars can't be choosers."

"We'd be lucky if Pegasus considered Rodeo by this point. God, what I wouldn't given for some Copland. I was so damned thrilled when he chose West Side Story over Rent. I couldn't believe it when I saw the posting."

"You have no idea how much time I spent convincing him otherwise."

Tea laughed, placing her glass down as she finished her drink. "I can't even imagine. When Pegasus sets his mind to something, it's pointless fighting. Who thought it was a good idea to put him in a position of leadership?"

Yami shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."

Tea chuckled, a bright smile on her face. Yami watched for a moment before looking away, a comfortable silence falling between the two. Tea was very easy to talk to. It was odd how Yami felt so at ease around her so quickly when it usually took more time for him to warm up to people.

A question ate Yami's mind as he sat with Tea. He glanced over at Tea, who also was people watching. "Hey, Tea?"

Her blue eyes met his violet ones. "Yes?"

"Why'd you stick around Domino? You're clearly the big fish in the little pond. Why not try auditioning for a professional ballet company?"

Tea didn't move or say anything, her eyes still locked with Yami. She opened her mouth as if to speak before glancing away back at the crowd. She furrowed her gaze as she thought for a moment longer. "… It's not like I haven't considered it. It's just… it's a tough market. Just because I'm good here doesn't mean I'm good enough at that level."

"Of course you are. You're an amazing dancer."

She gave a small smile, focusing on her empty cup. "Thanks. That's sweet. But I still don't think…"

Yami chuckled lightly, looking away. "Tea, I'm a classically trained musician – I'm not going to feed praise and adulation like I would one of my students. False encouragement just fills your head with ideas of grandeur that don't belong there… I mean it – you're extraordinarily good. I really think you have a shot if you just gave yourself some more credit."

Tea seemed surprise Yami's words. Yami locked eyes with Tea, wanting her to know that he was being serious. Tea was the last person who should feel insecure about her abilities and craft. He had never figured out why Tea never considered leaving Domino City behind for bigger and better things – fear of failure and rejection should not be one of those.

Tea thought about what Yami said, staring at the table as she gathered her thoughts. "I really appreciate the sentiment… I don't know. That's a big decision and it's been awhile since I've really dived into my ballet. Teaching and these rehearsals eat up my time. It's a lot to think about."

Yami just nodded, not saying anything more. He didn't press the issue – he wanted Tea to do this because she wanted it, not because she felt obligated. He knew she felt trapped in her job here, but making that jump was a life-changing decision as well. It's always difficult to figure out what you want in life, especially at their age.

"Besides, I could ask you the same thing. What's a pianist of your caliber doing in Domino City? You should be performing with the New York Philharmonic or touring the country as a soloist!" Yami laughed, a grin growing on his face. Figures she would turn the question on him.

"The life of a professional pianist is a hard one. Not all make the cut."

Tea just snorted, not looking convinced. "You can. I'm no idiot – you're a way better pianist than you let on. Why on earth you'd stick around Domino City when you could get away is beyond me."

Yami just gave a small smile. "I have my reasons." He didn't dare to give away any more than that. He still had his own secrets to keep after all. No need to reveal his hand just yet.

Tea studied Yami a bit longer before letting his response pass. Tea was friendly, but Yami sensed that she wasn't comfortable prying into other people's business. He appreciated that she wasn't nosy and didn't push the matter.

Yami continued to crowd watch for a bit longer before speaking again, changing the subject. "You know, I haven't been out in ages to grab a drink. I'm glad you dragged me along."

Tea smiled as she gave Yami a cheeky grin. "Well I can't let you become an old man at the ripe age of thirty. Not on my watch."

"Twenty-eight. I'm not old yet."

"Twenty-eight? Geez, you really are an old man. I was only joking about the thirty part."

Yami snorted as he raised an eyebrow. "How is that surprising? You know I have my doctorate. That's at least eight years of school minimum in our field."

Tea rolled her eyes, a knowing look on her face. "Let me guess though – you did it in seven."

"Why on earth do you think that? You're just shooting blind now."

"I'm right aren't I?"

Yami's lack of response was answer enough, his cheeks burning as Tea laughed. He wasn't really embarrassed, but it was a bit disconcerting how easily Tea read him like an open book.

After another hour of talking and one more round of drink, Yami felt the gradual wave of tiredness and exhaustion win over him. The two of them caught back up with Tristan and Joey. They offered to give Yami a ride, but he decided to pass on the offer – his apartment was only a few blocks away.

Tea stood by Tristan's car, waiting before getting in as she finished talking with Yami. "Well, I'm glad we got the chance to chat Yami! I'm glad you decided to come out!"

Yami smiled back, the feeling genuine. "Same. I'm glad you invited me… I usually feel awkward about coming to things like this, so thanks for giving me the push I needed."

Tea chuckled lightly, tilting her lead lightly. "Not a problem. Is that an invitation to give you the nudge to get out more whenever I see fit?"

"Within reason." Yami snorted, glancing away.

Tea laughed. "Of course, of course." A beep broke their conversation up as Tristan was tired of waiting. As friendly as he was, Yami realized that Tristan was a man who liked his sleep.

Not wanting to hold up his time anymore, Yami waved at the group. "It's been fun. Thanks for letting come along."

Yami chuckled as he saw Joey pop his head outside the passenger side window yelling a quick goodnight. Tea smiled warmly as she started to get the car. "Night Yami! We'll see you tomorrow!"

Yami nodded, watching the group drive off. Once they were out of sight, he sighed glancing up at the night sky. He had been out much later than he had planned, but that wasn't a bad thing. If Yami had the choice, he would have spent the entire night talking to Tea if he could. He talked more Tea tonight than he had the two years they had been working together.

 _I really am quite hopeless._  Yami grinned at himself, shaking his head in disappointment. Yami had just figured that by staying close to Tea, he would build the courage to finally talk to her. It took all but dragging him into the bar for him to finally speak to Tea. When it came down to it, he didn't have the bravery to talk to his crush. It was like being back in high school all over again.

What's more ironic was how Yami urged Tea to consider making the biggest leap in her career, not understanding how she couldn't have taken that step yet. Here he was, afraid to talk to the girl he's been interested in for years, telling her to not be so afraid and to take a chance. The irony was rather rich. Tea's risk was far greater and more terrifying than his.

 _But perhaps all one of us really needs is that push._  Yami hadn't taken that step to go and get to know Tea, so she did it for him. Yami smiled as he looked back at the night sky, spotting the stars above. Perhaps one day, he could do the same for Tea. Perhaps one day, Tea would let him return the favor she gave him tonight. Yami smiled at the night sky, feeling happier tonight than months previous.  _Perhaps this is a sign that things are about to change._

Yami had no idea how true that thought would turn out to be.


	3. Chapter 3

Yami had a painful morning getting up the next day. The morning sunlight reminded him why he didn't go out drinking. He was such a lightweight that even the smallest amount of alcohol had him regretting it by sunrise.  _I am not looking forward to the performance tonight._  As much as he enjoyed playing piano, it was hard to enjoy it with a hangover.

Yami forced himself to get up, walking over to take a shower and find some ibuprofen to stave off his throbbing headache. Go figure that the one time he decided to drink would be to impress a chick.  _Tea Gardner, I hope you realize the sacrifice I made for you last night._  Yami shook his head, wondering if he could avoid turning on more lights and just shower in the dark.

Fifteen minutes later, Yami was showered and changed, opting for comfort as he threw on a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. He made his way to his kitchen, looking for something to fill the empty pit in his stomach. He blinked for a moment in confusion when he spotted a set of hair, not too unlike his own. A pointed crown of magenta and black had made itself at home on his couch.

Yami sighed as he made his way to the kitchen, looking for some cereal. "Ever hear of knocking?"

A voice from his living room chirped up, still not moving from its spot. "I did. You were still asleep. I decided to let myself in."

Yami rolled his eyes, pouring some milk into his bowl before closing the fridge. "That wasn't the intent behind giving you that key." Yami walked out into the living room to join his morning guest. Though slightly irked, he wasn't really upset by his visitor.

"Well what did you want me to do, Yami? Just wait outside your door until you wake up?" His doppelganger was busy with a video game he currently had in hand. It took Yami a moment to realize it was one of his.

Yami just snorted as he scooped up some food. "How about not come over at an unreasonable hour in the morning?"

"It's 11:20, Yami."

"… What?"

"Eleven. Twenty. I came over at ten. Personally, I was shocked to see you sleep in this late, but I figured you must have had a pretty exciting night to stay up so late."

Yami rolled his eyes, glancing over at his younger cousin, Yugi. It was odd how similar the two looked, even though they didn't share the same parents. They were often mistaken for twins in public. To make matters more baffling, the two had been very close growing up. Neither of them had siblings, and after Yugi's parents died and their grandfather became his guardian, Yami would spend a lot of time hanging out with his little cousin.

Yami had lived with his parents about an hour from their grandfather, so he often would go to visit and hang out. College had made it difficult for the two to catch up. Now that Yami lived in Domino City, and now even closer to their grandfather, Yugi was a regular visitor. The two would often hang out and play games together as they had for years. Still, a little notice beforehand wouldn't go unmissed.

"Well, what brings you over here today?" Yami decided to ask. Yugi knew he had a performance tonight – weekends for musicians were often busier than most.

"Thought we could hang out before you perform tonight. Unless you have an afternoon rehearsal."

Yami groaned, not wanting to check his phone. He knew it was unlikely, but he wouldn't put it past Pegasus to suddenly call for an emergency dress rehearsal for god knows what reason. "Don't know yet. I'm not particularly rushing to find out."

"Well, while you're not rushing, can you help me figure out this difficult Professor Layton puzzle? You know which one I'm talking about."

Yami just laughed, standing up to put his dishes away. "You'll be annoyed with yourself later if you don't figure it out yourself." He could tell by Yugi's grumble that he begrudgingly agreed.

Yami had just placed the bowl in the sink when he heard his phone ringing from his pocket. Already knowing what was coming, he sighed as he took out his phone. He narrowed his eyes as he spotted a text from the personification of the gay parade. Yami opened the text, already anticipating the request.

" _Yami_ _–_ _I_ _'_ _m calling a dress rehearsal this afternoon before tonight_ _'_ _s show. Need to work on the Mambo and the duet. Things weren_ _'_ _t as tight as we needed them. Be there at 2. Toodles._ _"_

Yami cursed his bad luck as he made his way back to the living room. "Well I hope you weren't hoping to spend tons of time with me today. I just got a text from the director."

Yugi looked up from his game, a disappointed look on his face. "Really? Rehearsal now? He's going to run you guys ragged at this rate."

Yami shrugged, not arguing the point. "Either way, I'll have to be down there at 2. If I'm lucky, it'll only be an hour. Either way, it's going to be killer for this migraine I have."

"Yeah, I was wondering why you were looking like death this morning. Are you hungover?" Yugi asked, closing the DS as he settled back on the couch, more focused on his cousin. Yami nodded slowly, the throbbing his head slowly dying away, though not fast enough.

"Yeah. Some of the cast members invited me out to go drinking after the show."

Yami heard Yugi chuckle, a large grin on the younger man's face. "How'd they manage that? You hate drinking."

Yugi's magenta eyes bore into Yami, as he felt a light blush growing on his face, recalling how he ended up going out that night. "Well… I mean, there was… I just felt like going."

Yami's poor attempt at lying only piqued Yugi's interest further. A wicked grin grew on his cousin's face. "Now I know your lying! Who is she?"

Yami swore under his breath, regretting mentioning anything. "There's nobody Yugi. And anyway, I thought you wanted to do something before I head off to rehearsal."

"I do. It's called talk about your love life. What's her name?"

Yami rolled his eyes, debating whether to resist or give in. In the end, he knew Yugi would continue to pester him until he got an answer. Yami glanced away, trying not to look abashed. "… Her name's Tea. She's a dancer at the show."

"Is she cute?"

"Obviously."

Yugi leaned back thinking, a small smile on his face. "Hmm… well in that case, I'll come to your show tonight."

Yami blinked, confused for a moment. "Wait, why? She's a chorus member, so it's not like she's the star of the show. Plus, you've already come to one of my shows this season."

"Yeah, but I didn't know you had a secret crush in the company. I want to meet her."

Yami quickly realized what Yugi was getting at. "Yugi, I barely know her myself. I'm not going to introduce you to her. That would be awkward."

"Then you need to get to know her! Stop being so shy and just ask her out!" Yugi ordered, looking rather impish in the process.

Yami rolled his eyes, resting his head against his propped up fist. "That's easier said than done. I'm working on it, okay? Can we just drop it for now?"

Yugi had a tendency of being somewhat pushy on a matter. Although Yami typically didn't mind, it could get exhausting. He held his breath, hoping that Yugi would move on to a different topic. After a few moments, Yugi flopped back on the couch. "Fine. But you better keep me updated on your love life. I can't stand seeing you waste away as a lonely bachelor."

Yami just chuckled, turning on the TV as he started to set-up Mario Kart. "Yes, I imagine you've been suffering quite a bit."

"I'm just concerned is all! It seems unfair that such a handsome fella like yourself should be alone."

Yami turned his head to stare at Yugi, smirk on his face. "You're only saying that because we share the same face."

Yugi just grinned, not denying the claim. He grabbed one of the controllers, plopping down next Yami as they settled in for some classic Nintendo.

* * *

Yami resisted the urge to let out an annoyed groan, his eyes glaring at the back of Pegasus' head. Yami had known that an afternoon rehearsal was likely with their pain in the ass director. What Yami hadn't anticipated was the fact that he was the only musician called for rehearsal. Since Pegasus said the issue was with the performers on stage, he didn't see any reason force the pit to come out for a two-hour rehearsal. That would have been unfair.

When Pegasus told that to Yami's face, he had to resist the urge to smash his giggling, idiotic director into the piano keys.

So in a manner that was most definitely unfair, Yami let out a loud sigh, watching dully as Pegasus worked with the two protagonists of the show. The other cast members were milling about, heading off stage. After Pegasus had drilled them over the mambo dance, he fretfully ended that part of rehearsal, calling it "passable." Yami was once again stuck in wonder at how he ended up with such an incompetent director.

Yami turned as he heard Pegasus call his name, gesturing for him to start at the given measure mark. Yami obliged, paying less attention to his director's theatrics and allowing himself to focus more assisting the singers in question. Pegasus seemed discontent, complaining that they were adding beats to the music that didn't exist. Yami had to resist the urge to remark that breathing was a necessary part of singing.

Yami was wise enough to keep his smartass comments to himself.  _I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'd rather being playing Mario Kart right now than sitting here._  Being a rehearsal pianist, while definitely interesting and challenging at times, was dreadful at this point in the season. Yami knew what to expect of the musicians and actors in question. If he had issues with the music, he would turn to discuss these issues with the conductor, who knew how to find a middle ground.

Pegasus, unfortunately, had too many ideas for his own good.

Pegasus cut Yami off to work with 'Maria' on line delivery. Yami leaned back on his bench, staring at the keys before him. He wasn't sure how long Pegasus would be working with the two leads, so Yami figured now was as good a time as any to work on his side project. He slid his binder over, grabbing the manuscript paper he had sitting behind his score. He flipped a few pages, finding where he had left off.

Yami had only barely gotten into the third measure of writing when he heard a voice call his name. He looked up, confused when he realized it wasn't Pegasus trying to get his attention. He looked around his corner of the stage, peering around the decrepit upright piano he sat at. Yami wondered if he had imagined the voice until he heard his name again.

Yami glanced off to the corner of the stage, his heart skipping a beat when he saw a certain brunette sitting at the edge. He hoped his face wasn't turning red as he greeted his dancer crush. "Oh – Hi Tea. How's it going?"

Tea smiled, her blue eyes lighting up. He noticed that she was wearing yoga pants and a large t-shirt, an outfit fairly similar to last night's attire. It was a more relaxed side of her he enjoyed seeing. "Not too bad. Hangovers can be a real bitch though. You holding up okay?"

Yami chuckled, his facial expression slipping to reveal his annoyance with his situation. "As best as I can be." Yami explained, his eyes trained on Pegasus.

Tea giggled, nodding her head in understanding. She leaned back, stretching her back. She tilted her head as she studied the papers on Yami's music stand. "Mind if I ask what's that?"

Yami glanced back at his composition, flipping back a few pages to the front. He sighed as he took it off the stand to hand over to Tea. "Just a side project for my students."

Tea grabbed the music, reading through it as she tried to aurally understand what was written down. After a few moments, she chuckled, her eyes flicking up. She had an amused look on her face. "Didn't know you were a fan of Bruno Mars?"

Yami sighed, shaking his head in exasperation. "I'm not. But it's hard to keep younger kids interested in music. So keep their attention, I'll transcribe pop songs for them to play. It's no Beethoven, but maybe they'll stick around long enough to play that someday."

Tea chuckled, nodding her head in understanding. "I get it. I swear kids are pickier now than we were growing up. I have a class of kids who threw a fit when I told them we weren't going to be working on the Nutcracker for the spring show."

Yami grinned, understanding Tea's plight. "Ah, but Ms. Tea! Mom and dad want to see their little princesses as fairies!"

Tea let out an exasperated sigh, as if she heard this argument before. "And they can! But the Nutcracker is better fitted for a winter program, not summer. I swear it's the parents who are the bigger issue than the kids though."

Yami nodded, his eyes flicking over to Pegasus. "Yeah. Sometimes the adults are the ones who can be more childish than anyone else."

Tea laughed, leaning back to hand Yami his music back. "Yeah. If it was just my kiddos, it would be easier. Too bad the parents are the ones who help me pay rent."

"Isn't that what we're all trying to do?"

Yami smirked, enjoying their conversation as they discussed their struggles as starving artists. Although Yami enjoyed teaching a lot and it was definitely one of the better parts of his work, it could also be exhausting. It was nice talking to someone else who just… got it.

Tea glanced back to Yami, her expression thoughtful. "So what do you do on your off days when you're not the rehearsal pianist?"

Yami snorted, puffing up some air to push his blond locks from out in front of his face. "Probably humoring my cousin and playing Luigi's Haunted Mansion. You know, just a day in the life of a 28 year old musician."

"Your parents must be so proud."

"Every day." Yami lightly jabbed back. Tea had a pensive look on her face, almost as if she wanted to ask him a question. Yami felt nervous, almost as if both wanted to ask the question, but both were rather shy to do so. Was Yami reading the situation right? Based on the vibes he was getting, he felt like Tea liked him. But oh, was it so difficult to know what another person thought, wasn't it? Deciding to go with his guts, Yami mustered up the courage ask the burning question on his mind.

Before he could speak, a voice interrupted their conversation.

"Ms. Gardner! We are having a rehearsal right now! Please hold off on gossiping with our pianist and save it until after we are done." Yami let out a sigh, keeping his face neutral as he heard Pegasus reprimand them, trying not to reveal his frustration. Tea gave Yami a small smile before jumping off the stage, leaving the concert hall. Yami sighed, watching Tea before reluctantly returning his attention to Pegasus.

 _Well this blows._  Yami shook his head, masking his desire to glare at Pegasus as he stared intently at the music. Pegasus counted them in, but Yami's mind was elsewhere. Though Tea hadn't said anything, Yami was sure that she wanted to ask him the same question he had in mind. But now, thanks to Maximillion cock-blocking Pegasus, Yami wouldn't know.

After a few more repetitions, Pegasus finally relieved Yami of his duty. He breathed a sigh of relief, grabbing his satchel to pack his music away. He was glad this headache was over, though he was aware he would do it all over again. Yami didn't have a problem with rehearsing. But he was a larger fan of intelligent rehearsals versus "practice it for practice sake."

As Yami put away his binder, he moved to put away his composition. He noticed one of the corners folded. He raised an eyebrow, finding it odd as he hadn't done so with any of the pages he had worked on so far. He flipped open to the page to fix the crease, his breath catching when he noticed what was written on the page. At the folded corner, there was a phone number written followed by a smiley face.

_Holy shit!_

Yami grinned to himself, glancing back up to stare out at the audience seating. He suspected that Tea had already left, but he couldn't help searching for her. After a few moments, he glanced back down at the number, the smile growing on his face. Yami tore off the corner of the paper, trying to memorize the series of numbers before shoving the piece of paper in his pocket. His day just got infinitely better.

Yami packed up, a smile still plastered on his face. Yami ignored all of his puzzled coworkers, who stared in confusion at the delighted pianist. He couldn't care less, eager to see how things would play out.


	4. Chapter 4

Yami spent the next few days letting the piece of paper burn a hole in his pocket. Even though Tea gave him her number, he still couldn't muster the courage to text her. He assumed that it meant that she was interested in hanging out, but he felt hesitant, even nervous about contacting her. It felt so bold, even more so than everything he had already tried so far.

Yuugi noticed Yami's reluctance and continued to hound his doppleganger for his cowardice. That was what it was at this point. Of course, the more his younger cousin hassled him, the less he felt inclined to text Tea. He wanted things to develop naturally between the two – he certainly didn't need family meddling in the matter.

Almost a week later, Yuugi asked Yami to hang out, almost as if to apologize for his behavior earlier that week. Yami shrugged and figured why not. He was still trying to figure out how to keep things going with Tea (despite the obvious) and perhaps an outing away from music and his students would help.

He and Yugi left from his apartment to go to the museum. It wasn't the first activity he would have gone with, but he wasn't picky. It was easier to let Yuugi suggest what they do. Of course, the moment they got there, Yuugi had to run to use the restroom. Yami rolled his eyes, letting his cousin take care of business beforehand.

It was only as Yami noticed that several minutes had passed that he started to puzzle as to what was taking Yuugi so long. He felt his phone buzz as he received a text. He blinked when he saw that Yuugi sent him a text. He had just opened it when a voice caught his ear, his heart skipping a beat.

"Hey Yami! There you are!"

Yami snapped his head up, his ears burning as he saw those bright blue eyes. "Tea? How are you?" Yami struggled to keep his voice from inflecting upwards, confused as to why Tea seemed to be expecting him.

"I'm great. Ready to go?"

Yami kept his face blank, hoping that he came off as pensive rather than baffled. He glanced down at his phone, already suspecting what had happened. He glanced down read the text from his cousin.

" _You can thank me later. And remember – no hickeys!"_

Yami sighed, tilting his head back at the sky.  _Yugi, you little-_

"Everything okay?"

Yami snapped his head back as Tea watched him with concern. Yami shook his head, embarrassed and annoyed by his cousin. Of course this wasn't just to hang out. It was his cousin's dastardly plan. And yet for some reason, he suspected he would be thanking Yuugi later.

_I hate it when he's right._

"I'm fine. Shall we go?"

* * *

Yami, not knowing what to expect, essentially ended up following Tea to a diner to grab milkshakes. According to Tea, they had (apparently) texted setting up a date. Which meant that Yugi somehow knew the password to his phone and decided to set up a date without Yami's knowledge.

Yami was going to reset Yugi's Pokémon file the next time he stopped by his apartment.

Yami sighed, glancing out the window. _Would it have killed him to leave the messages so I could know what I'm doing today?_  He felt like an idiot for not knowing what was planned on their date. Tea was cheerful and filling the air between them, but Yami was internally panicking as he tried to guess what Yugi would have set up for them.

"Hey, Yami? Are you okay? You seem a bit spacey today." Tea's voice brought Yami's attention front and center. He snapped his head back, realizing that his brooding was probably seen as dismissive towards his date.

"I'm sorry. I was distracted… um… what were we talking about?" Yami, though usually fairly adept at masking his emotions, knew his the bridge of his nose burned red. The fact that he was actually on a date,  _a goddamn date_ , with Tea hadn't sunk in. Years of beating around the bush suddenly paid off because his cousin was a braver person than himself.

Not that he would admit that to Tea first.

"I was just wondering what you wanted to go do next. Was there any shops that you wanted to check out?" Yami pursed his lips, thinking on the question. Intentional or not, Tea just provided him an out on how the rest of this date would play out.

And of course, he had no idea what he wanted to do.

What would Tea like to do? Girls liked shopping, right? Yami thought about suggesting such a venture, but feared that he would end up as the bag carrier in the process. The idea of going clothes shopping sounded dreadful. They could check out a museum, but then they would have to be quiet and respectful of the other patrons. They could go outside, but there was a chance it could rain.

 _Yuugi has told me that I'm a picky SOB. I never gave it much thought until now._  Yami took another sip of his milkshake before looking back up at Tea. Despite the opportunity to decide what to do on their date, Yami ended up giving back the control to Tea. Perhaps she could guess something that would be fun for both of them. "I'm not too picky. Was there something you wanted to check out?"

Tea thought for a moment before reaching down into her purse. She flipped through some pamphlets before settling on one. She slid it across the table to Yami, a blush growing on her face. "Well, I'm not sure if this is something you're into, but they're holding a game expo by the Black Crown Game Shop. A ton of stuff will be on sale and I was hoping to get some updated graphic cards for the MMO I'm into."

Had Yami not been already sitting, he might have collapsed. He stared in wonder and shock at Tea's sentence. Truly, she was a woman after his heart. "Holy shit, that sounds amazing!"

Tea's blush faded, a tentative smile growing on her face. "I had hoped you might be interested. Typically guys are a safer bet on these sort of things… So, you ready to roll?"

Yami nodded as he got up, taking his milkshake with him as the two headed out. The fact that Tea was into MMO's sparked hope in him. As soon as they stepped outside, Yami let a small smile slip onto your face. "So you're a gamer? I hadn't pegged you as such."

Tea just shrugged, though Yami noticed as she fiddled with her bracelet to avoid looking over at him. "I hung out with nerds in high school. I joined a Pathfinders group by senior year and I was hooked. Since they finally made Monster World into an MMO, I decided to hop over."

"Oh my god, Monster World. I haven't played that in forever."

"You should join. Ryou pulled some of us from the theater to form a squad. Joey and Tristan are part of it. And frankly, we could use a healer, if that's your thing."

Yami glanced away, skeptical of his good luck. The fact that they shared so many interests in common was mindboggling. Professional artist, snarky humor, avid gamer – if Tea said that she was a Stranger Things junkie, Yami would swear the gods had somehow designed the perfect woman in flesh.

"I usually don't play support, but I have a fairly decent build for a white wizard. Perhaps that would suffice?"

Tea giggled, giving Yami a knowing look. "We won't complain about more healing. Though heads up – that's Ryou's usual class."

"You already have a white wizard?"

"Nah, he decided to be a thief this time. I'm just warning you that he might judge you hardcore if he thinks your build sucks."

Yami chuckled, a smirk growing on his face. "That won't be a problem. I take my gaming as seriously as I do my music."

Tea grinned. "Shit, I better warn the guys, then. They never take anything seriously, even in game."

Yami stole a glance over at Tea, enjoying the light smile on her face. "Mind if I enquire as to the team build?"

Tea paused as she recalled. "Joey's a warrior. Tristan's a martial artist. Duke's hit or miss when he can make it, but he's our merchant." Tea smiled as she met Yami's gaze. "I'm the bard of the team."

"The professional dancer is the bard? That sounds about right."

"Shut up. We can't all escape the tropes of our real life existence."

Yami laughed but let the issue go, sparing Tea any further harassment.

* * *

An hour later, Yami found himself still at the Black Crown game shop. In addition to video games, the shop also had comics and a variety of card games to examine. This was a pleasant surprise as Yami was a Duel Monsters junkie. He was examining a few cards he had obtained, considering how to update his deck accordingly to get back at Yuugi.

Tea sat near Yami, herself engrossed in a comic she had gotten alongside her new graphic card. Surprisingly, this was the first lull in their date. The conversation flowed easily between the two as they discussed their nerdy interests.

Now as they sat next to each other, Yami felt a small smile grow on his face. Perhaps it was forward of him, but he couldn't help but imagine the two of them hanging out like this at home. After a long day of rehearsals and lessons, they could come back and enjoy the quiet company of each other at the end of the day. Perhaps if they were daring, they would game together on their smurf accounts for shits and giggles.

 _Slow down, tiger. You have to get through this date first._  Yami reprimanded himself, putting his cards back into their cases. He turned back to Tea, her blue eyes fixed as she immersed herself in the drama of the Phoenix saga. He knew he was staring, but he didn't feel repentant. It was only when Tea's cheeks grew pink that he realized she was aware of his gaze.

"Enjoying the view?" Tea teased, her eyes flicking up to meet his violet ones. A comment like that would have left Yami flustered around his crush a week prior. As he grew more comfortable around Tea, he found it easier to keep his usual detached demeanor. He smirked, leaning back in a nonchalant manner.

"Certainly better than any scenery this place can offer." Yami raised an eyebrow as he saw Tea roll her eyes, a smirk growing on her face as well.

"Are you always this articulate around women?"

"Ha. Never. I let the piano do the talking for me whenever I can. You don't need to be good at conversation if you can play an instrument."

Tea snickered, nodding in appreciation. "Isn't that the truth. I don't know how many chorus girls have asked me if you're single after rehearsal."

Yami raised an eyebrow. This was news to him. "I didn't realize I was so popular in the theatre."

"Please. You're the quiet, aloof pianist at rehearsal. Of course, you'd be the star."

Yami shrugged. Apparently, his attitude towards the daily grind of rehearsal made him seem cooler than he was. This reaffirmed his perceived perspective of himself. "What do you tell them when they ask about my single status?"

Tea froze at that remark, as if realizing she had been caught. Yami watched, now curious as to her reaction. She bit her lip before glancing away, almost embarrassed. "I tell them you're seeing someone."

"… You lie to them?"

Tea pretended to think about her answer. "It's not a lie. Music is a jealous mistress, after all."

Yami chuckled, a grin growing on his face. He understood the implications of Tea's little untruth. "Smooth."

"Shut up. You weren't going to ask anyone out, so it's not like I hurt your chances."

"I didn't realize you were the jealous, possessive type."

"I'm not!" Tea's face was now burning red. Yami couldn't help laughing out loud. This had turned out to be a rather unexpected twist.  _What a pleasant surprise this turned out to be._  Still, he shouldn't tease Tea so much about her apparent crush on him. How could he when he had been a coward for so long? The whole reason they were out today was because Tea decided to make a move.

Perhaps he should meet her in the middle.

"For what it's worth, it all worked out." Yami started, glancing away. He could feel Tea's eyes focused on him, the blush fading from her cheeks. The color seemed to have transferred to Yami's ears, which he sure was burning red as he struggled to keep his complexion neutral. He pursed his lips before continuing. "I mean, we're here now, right?"

He flicked his gaze back up, his stomach a twisting, turning mess. Tea blinked, before a soft giggle slipped past her lips, almost bashful and shy in nature. She wrung her hands in her lap, a small smile on her face. "Yeah. All's well that ends well."

Yami felt his heart hammering in his chest, his hand twitching as he struggled to figure out what to do next. Perhaps it wasn't the right time, but he decided to take a gamble. He reached his hand forward, taking Tea's slender hand in his own. Her head snapped up, almost surprised by the gesture.

Yami couldn't meet her gaze, feeling far too nervous to admit it. He would rather perform in front of a thousand large audience blindfolded than face whatever reaction may come forward. At least he knew what to expect when he performed. He knew what would happen because he knew himself and what he was capable.

The results were far more unpredictable regarding a crush who may tentatively return his feelings.

He felt Tea's hand shift, her fingers interlocking with his. Yami didn't look over, but he could tell that Tea was also looking away as well. Even without looking, he could sense her happiness and her smile from his periphery. And that thought allowed a smile to grow on his face. The two sat there in silence, content to be holding hands.

Yami felt his chest finally start to cease its erratic palpitations, his breathing finally more relaxed. He bit back a chuckle, a sense of elation washing over him.  _Tea's right. All's well that ends well._


	5. Chapter 5

Their unspoken moment at the game store consumed Yami's thoughts in the days to follow. Without much prodding or pressure, the two fell into a natural rhythm, finding time to meet up outside of rehearsal. Whether it was for lunch or to go for a walk or to just hang around the theater working, they gravitated to each other like the tides meeting the shore.

Yami sat at his piano bench, a short thirty-minute break before his next student. He should be rehearsing the development section of the sonata he had taken on, but his thoughts were distracted by his developing relationship with Tea. Yes, relationship. Even now, Yami knew that trying to tiptoe around what was plainly obvious would be unwise.

Yami understood what they were or what they were becoming. Their natural attraction to each other was understood without needing to be explained. He found the more time he spent with Tea, learning about her and her hobbies and passions, the more his affections grew. This graceful, beautiful dancer with a nerdy side had captured his heart in a new way he didn't think possible.

This left Yami with the looming question.

_What happens now?_

Perhaps he was overthinking it, but Yami could see how Domino was draining their life and passion. Both were devoted to their work and craft, but he knew the longer they remained there, the less likely they would be able to pursue these dreams. He had been feeling the wear for the last couple of years, and he could tell, though she didn't often speak of it, that Tea also felt trapped and frustrated in her own position.

Yami wanted to help somehow. He remembered back in undergrad, his fellow peers would debate whether it was wiser to date within or outside the department. The constant argument was their potential crush understanding the cost of being an artist. The quote-unquote "struggles" of the professional musician. If you weren't submerged in the world yourself, than how much could one connect?

Yami had considered the idea of being with someone without any knowledge of music unthinkable. Perhaps it was his own vanity, but he couldn't imagine not being able to discuss music with Tea. Even with her dancing background, she had a strong basis and understanding in music. It was the arts that initially brought them together, after all.

This left the second argument against dating within the department for Yami to now contemplate. The more pressing issue was their busy, conflicting lives as artists. With an already irregular schedule between the two of them, time was already an issue. Furthermore, there was no guarantee that if one of them pursued their passion in the professional realm that the other one would also find success.

Yami shook his head, snatching his pencil on the music stand as he once again fumbled the trill transition. He scribbled in a note to himself, his eyes staring blankly before him. If Tea and him were becoming as serious as he felt they were, then there was no reason for them to tie their roots to this city. They could leave Domino behind – both had the skills and talent to do so. Perhaps it was fate that drew they together so that they could depart together as well.

But there lied the impending problem. The likelihood that there would be an opening for a rehearsal pianist for a ballet company (or any orchestra for that matter) in the same city was rather slim. The more likely situation would be that one would find a successful career as a professional dancer or pianist while the other quietly supported their partner, teaching and taking on small gigs so that their careers would not cause rifts in their relationship.

Yami closed his eyes, pausing a moment before raising his hand. His thoughts were growing too conflicting and troublesome. In moments like those, Yami decided it was best to do what he did best – play. He willed his mind clear before glancing back up to his music, plunging into the passage that had given him so much trouble. He forced himself to remain relaxed, mind thinking ahead to the tricky spot while not letting it distract him from the current moment.

Yami felt the passage approach; a smirk growing on his face as he quickly shifted his hand position. The slightly awkward trill transitioned by a half step, opening up his hand as he finally resolved it with a mordent. He kept going, the melody carrying over into the tenor voice. Careful to keep the voicing clear, he explored the themes and motifs from earlier in the piece, quick modulation and exchanges between both of his hands providing an exciting and intense build-up.

These exchanges lasted a measure max before finally striking an open fifth. He found the third and seventh create the dominant, lingering only slightly as the piece would allow. His fingers floated down the keys, the scale descending as the music finally found itself in the recapitulation. The familiar theme from earlier in the piece, now in the true tonic, filled the room.

Yami nodded as he stopped playing, the difficult passage now conquered. He leaned back to grab his cup of coffee sitting behind, still looking at his music. This particular Haydn sonata had been rather difficult to master, but he was making definite headwind on it. At least, more so than the Bach partita he had taken on. And the sense of satisfaction as he achieved something that had been once impossible left a glowing feel.

People often assumed that it was the performance that Yami loved most about being a musician. And while that certainly was one of his favorite aspects, it was these moments that he loved most. It was pushing himself as a musician, as an artist, to accomplish something. He learned to not just play the notes, but create something new with it. He discovered the raw expression beneath the notes, a secret message written by the composer for all future students who undertook his work.

Yami sighed, a soft expression on his face. He adored music. His passion and love for his craft went beyond words. How could one put to words what was felt? So desperately he wanted to escape the stifling constraints of Domino. For all that he loved about the town and how it brought him to meet Tea, he knew that if he stayed here for much longer, it would kill the artist within him. It would kill his love for music.

Yami wondered if Tea's passion for dancing was quickly dying as well.

He grabbled a notepad sitting atop of his baby grand, scribbling down a note to himself. Yami always felt as if he had to have everything figured out, including himself. He was very self-aware and observant of the world around him. But perhaps he wasn't quite aware as he previously thought. Perhaps there were things he hadn't realized about himself until now. And perhaps these new revelations would help him find his path.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. Yami snapped his head up, setting the notepad aside as he got up to answer. A teenage girl with blond hair and glasses grinned at the door, hands clutching a stack of music. "Hi Mr. Yami! I found a Bizet piece I want to play! Can we try it out?"

Yami chuckled, rolling his eyes at his energetic student. For what it was worth, she was one of his most passionate students and by extension, one of his favorites. "It's good to see you too, Rebecca. I'd love to try it out after I hear how that Clementi sonatina is going."

* * *

The following couple of days had been very busy for both artists. When one finally found they had free time, the other was likely teaching a class or at some rehearsal. It became increasingly clear to Yami that Tea wanted to see him as much as he wanted to see her, as their time apart seemed to make her just as antsy as he felt. He offered to come by her studio if that would work better. Assuming she did mind a roaming observer to her class.

Tea had no issues with the suggestion, so Yami made his way downtown until he found himself on Front Street, facing a narrow building. He entered and walked up to the third floor, the music escaping past the thin walls indicating he was on the right track. He spotted the rusted plaque , indicating the Violet Garden Dance Studio. He suspected Tea was finishing up a class and decided to let himself in.

He was greeted by a narrow hallway, a line of parents sitting against one wall as they occupied themselves with iPads and Androids. Yami just walked past them, familiar with the sight of bored parents, much like the ones at his own lessons for his younger students. He peaked around the corner, holding his satchel a bit closer. He hadn't needed to bring his music with him, but there was something he wanted to discuss with Tea in person.

He stepped into the studio, being greeted by the sight of almost two dozen kindergarteners awkwardly moving through their new routine. He smiled as he saw the intense focus some of the little girls had, their faces scrunched up. Finesse was far from possible with such a young age, yet that didn't keep them from trying to imitate their teacher.

Yami's expression softened as he spotted Tea, who gave him nothing more than a passing smile before returning her focus back to her students. Yami remained in the back, moving over towards the bookcase where her iPhone was plugged in playing music. Her class tried to imitate Tea through a segment of the routine, like awkward ducklings trying to keep afloat, trailing their mother duck who swam effortlessly through a rushing river.

A few more minutes of this passed until the class was finally over and Tea herded the girls off the dance floor to change back into their regular clothes. Yami knew it would likely be a while longer before he got to chat to her, knowing that the parents would likely have questions to pester Tea with. He decided to check out the upright shoved in the corner of the room, his curiosity getting the better of him.

As he got closer to the brittle instrument, he could see that it has spent more time collecting dust than seeing action. Chances were, this piano was here before Tea started working and probably hadn't been worked on since. Yami probably could tune it himself, but it would take some time and he hadn't brought his gear with him. Still, how horribly out of tune could it be?

Yami sat down on the bench, brushing off the yellowed keys. He raised an eyebrow before settling on a D major chord. Instead of the anticipated warm sound of the triad, the sounded horribly augmented and diminished at the same time. Whatever he was trying to play was certainly not sounding. Yami couldn't help but laugh at the atrocious noise.  _Good lord, this thing is in shitty condition. I need to bring my tuning wrench next time I come by here._

Before Yami could explore the decrepit creature further, he heard a voice from behind him. "Yeah, I wouldn't bother with the piano if I were you. I'm pretty sure that thing has been here since this studio became a thing."

Yami chuckled as he glanced back at Tea, a rather amused look on her face. "Are you telling me you aren't interested in learning to play piano?"

Tea rolled her eyes as she sat down on the bench, Yami scooting over to give her space. "I passed my basic piano proficiency test back in undergrad and I haven't really touched it since. A good bit of stuff for ballet is prerecorded anyway."

Yami couldn't argue that point, but still enjoyed teasing the dancer beside him. "Surely with all the time we've spent together, you'd want to learn a bit more about the instrument."

Tea pushed Yami with her shoulder, a coy look on her face. "Hey, I've been waiting for you to ask me how to dance since we first got drinks. Fair trade, right?"

Yami laughed at that, letting his hands rest on the keys. Despite Tea's hesitance, she placed one hand up on the keys as well. Yami raised an eyebrow before glancing over. "Do you know how to play?"

"Like I said – piano proficiency. So not particularly well. But I play a mean 'Heart and Soul.'"

Yami grinned at that, immediately shifting his hands down to play the familiar harmony. Tea laughed out, making some remark that she wasn't being serious, but her protests were lost. Even she couldn't resist plunking out the familiar melody. As Tea grew more confident with her melody, Yami decided to jazz up the base line, causing his piano partner to start giggling. The whole song was terribly unplanned but oh so fun. Just goofing off with Tea was worth the time spent.

Tea finally gave up after they lost each other, leaning back on the bench. She looked over at Yami, a soft, relaxed look on her face. "So what's new with you? You mentioned wanting to talk about something with me in person."

Yami nodded, recalling his original reason for meeting. Sure, they had wanted to catch up, but he wanted to have a serious discussion with Tea as well. Something that was pertinent to their careers and futures. He reached into his satchel next to him, digging around until he found a packet of papers he printed off earlier at the library.

"Yeah, I wanted you to take a look at this."

Tea quirked her eyebrows but said nothing as she took the packet from Yami. She spent a few moments studying it, not quite piecing together what this was all about it. Yami saw her finally completing the picture, her head jerking up in surprise. "This is about an audition."

Yami nodded, quickly picking up where she left off. "Multiple ones, actually. There are a couple of ballet companies accepting auditions for dancers. I wasn't sure what your preference was, so I thought an array might give you a sense of what sort of work you'd like to do. I wouldn't mind help recording your audition and providing music if need be."

Tea blinked, almost overwhelmed by the information as she shifted through applications for the different ballet troupes, ranging from San Francisco to Cincinnati to New York to Houston. She struggled to find words, not yet speaking. Yami wanted to keep going, to push her on the idea. But he could also sense her hesitation. He wanted Tea to be able to speak her mind first.

She finally gathered herself enough to speak again, her brows furrowed. "You're serious."

Yami, despite himself, couldn't help smile at the observation. "Like I said – I wouldn't humor you about your dancing if I didn't think you could make it. You have the skill and talent. I just don't want you to resign yourself to a place where you feel trapped."

 _Like me._ Yami had to bite back that last thought, not wanting to put any more pressure on Tea. This wasn't about his quarter life crisis – this was about Tea choosing what she wanted in life so that she could be happy.

Tea considered this a bit further, the expression on her face telling Yami that she still wasn't convince. After a few moments, she sighed, placing the applications on the piano stand in front of them. "I can't."

Of all the answers, that was not one Yami expected so quickly from Tea. "W-wait, why not?" He stuttered before quickly blurting the question.

Tea took a deep breath, her blue eyes trained on the keys in front of her. She bit her lip as she contemplated how to respond. She fiddled with her bracelet as she responded, not meeting Yami's gaze. "I can't leave it all behind."

Yami contemplated her answer, thinking for a moment before responding. Was this the root of the problem? He could help resolve this from her. "You know, you'll be able to start your own dance studio over there. It might be hard, but you'll be able to find a better apartment, more motivated studios, the stage you always dreamed of – it may be different, but it'll be a good change. And your friends and family will support you no matter where you go."

A small smile grew on Tea's face before she nervously chuckled. "I know that… but that's not the problem."

Yami narrowed his eyes, not following. "Then what is?"

Tea let out an uneven breath, a shaky sigh revealing her nerves. That's when he noticed the tinge of pink growing on her face. "It's not them. It's you. I can't leave-" Tea caught herself, glancing away.

Now it was Yami's turn to feel embarrassed. He felt flattered, yet also aware of the pressure he incidentally put on Tea. He took her hand in his own, causing her to let go of her bracelet. Neither looked up but rather both studied their joined hands. "Who said I'd stick around Domino when you leave?"

There was a long pause, which had Yami second-guessing his response. Tea finally choked out a question. "W-what?"

Yami chuckled, gently circling her knuckles with his thumb. "I have nothing tying me down to this city. I figured wherever you end up, I'll follow. It's considerable easier for me, a pianist, to teach and join a solo series if need be. I have the flexibility of being able to work independently – you have to be part of a company as a dancer. That's just the business we're in."

Yami flicked his eyes up, meeting glassy blue eyes. "Wherever you go, I'll go. That is, if you'll have me."

The pink faded from Tea's face, the blush disappearing as she realized what Yami was offering. The shock on her face faded until a glowing smile took its place. She squeezed Yami's hand, taking firm his grasp as she raised his hand to her lips, kissing him lightly on the knuckles. The gesture made Yami's heart flutter, a smile growing on his face. Even without speaking, he knew her answer.

Yami allowed himself to enjoy this moment. As Tea started to figure out what to use for her audition, his mind wandered. He hadn't been completely honest with Tea. True, it would be easier for him to try making it as a solo artist, that wasn't his preference. He had always preferred ensemble work and the stability the job would provide. It would be difficult to be a soloist, and more likely than not, he would end up as a teacher for most of his career.

But given the choice of wasting here in Domino and suffocating them both or try and make one of their careers flourish; he would rather see Tea soar. Even if it meant his dreams and ambitions had to take a backseat.

So he brushed these thoughts aside, swallowing down a bittersweet regret that clung to his heart. He let these feelings wash away as Tea turned, a smile on her face as she asked for his opinion on repertoire. After all, he loved all things music and art. And Tea was the embodiment of all that he loved. He would do everything he could to help her thrive in their new future together.


	6. Chapter 6

Following Tea's decision to audition for an array of ballet companies, the next couple of weeks became increasingly busy for the two. On top of doing a show at the Domino City Theatre with their oh-so-charming manager to handle, they each had their own respective studios to consider as well as make time for rehearsal.

Yet when confronted about cutting something out, Yami wouldn't consider it.

Early on in the preparation stages for her audition, Tea struggled to figure out what pieces to use for her audition. Even when she narrowed down her list, she went back and forth trying to decide which recording to use. It amused Yami to see that Tea could be just as picky as he was – there was something about their shared struggle in finding a recording that matched one's musical expression.

Yami then suggested that he play the piano accompaniment for her audition. Tea insisted that she couldn't put such demands on him, that his workload was already too much. Yami just shrugged it off, trying to hide how excited he was at such an opportunity. Sure, it would be more work, but he would be working by her side, sharing artistic ideas and discussing how to aurally and visually represent the piece.

Honestly, Yami couldn't see the downside to such an arrangement.

So after nearly half a day of grappling with the rickety upright sitting in her dance studio, wrestling with the ancient creature, Yami was able to retune the old ivory monstrosity. Due to its age and condition, Yami had spent every few days tuning the piano. The poor creature really should be put out of its misery, but neither of them was in a position to move a piano into her studio nor did they have access to the theatre after hours.

 _If only Pegasus hadn't changed the damn rules about using the theatre when rehearsals aren't going on._  Ideally, it would have been preferable to have Tea record her audition pieces on the stage, with the well-kept, well-tuned baby grand. But Pegasus had become a stickler in who he let use the theatre. He insisted it was to keep inexperienced and irresponsible cast members from using the space, but Yami didn't know anyone else aside from him and a few other professionals who wanted to use the hall for its intended purpose.

So instead, the two worked from Tea's dance studio, working late nights during the week. Their weekends were consumed by rehearsals and performances, and their days with students. To say they were both tired was an understatement.

It was during one of these dates/rehearsals that Tea asked to record. Since Yami was often trying to make his way through an orchestral reduction and cover all the musical points they had discussed, he didn't have much time to watch Tea's dancing. And although he was no dancer, he was an artist. And given their somewhat limited resources, an artist would have to do in terms of critique.

Yami held Tea's phone, watching the video that they had recorded. Tristan had a nice video camera that he promised they could use when they were ready send in her auditions, but for now, an iPhone would have to do. Yami studied her routine, blinking as he recognized something. "You did this routine before."

Tea sat on the floor, taking a drink of her water. She glanced back as she stretched from her spot. "What's that?"

"Your routine. I recognize part of it. Did you do this in competition before?"

Tea furrowed her brows, stretching forward as she tried to recall. "Not that I recall. I've never done a production of Coppélia, so I can't say that I've done it then either."

Yami leaned back on his bench, scowling slightly. That was odd. He could have sworn he had seen part of this routine before. "You sure you never did this before?"

"No…?" Tea's face lit up in recognition, as if suddenly realizing. "You know, I was in a production of Sylvia though. That's the same composer, right?"

Yami nodded, the pieces falling into place. "Yeah, that's it then. You used one of the sets in competition, right?"

"Yeah. I was Sylvia in the production, so I had quite a bit to work with."

Yami smiled, reflecting on those old memories. Strange how so much and so little has changed. He glanced back over at Tea. "Stealing from old routines for your audition? What would your college choreographer say?"

"Meh. She'd be fine with it."

Yami chuckled. "That's rather presumptuous, don't you think?"

"Not really. I choreographed my solo stuff back in college, so I don't mind stealing ideas from old me."

Yami blinked, somewhat surprised by this. "You choreographed your routines?"

Tea glanced back, not seeing what the big deal was. "Yeah. I was a dance student. Why wouldn't I want to learn how to choreograph?"

"But you were a student…"

"Right, because you being a student meant you weren't allowed to compose."

Yami sighed, glancing away. "Valid point. It's just… I'm a little surprised is all."

Tea took another sip of her water, adjusting her hair tie so that her vision remained unobstructed. "In undergrad, I wouldn't have thought to choreograph anything. But once I started my masters, my professors insisted that I take charge and learn how to do it myself. Wouldn't you know – I had a pretty good knack for it. Most dancers have to if they want to get anywhere. How else do you make the dance your own?"

Yami considered this, contemplating Tea's situation. As a musician, his job wasn't to improve upon written music, but in flawless execution and artistic interpretation. Unless it was a new composition he had written himself, the music was, for the most part, predetermined. There would exceptions such as cadenzas and solos and jazz work, but there was a more rigid structure he was constrained to.

While Yami enjoyed this framework to work within, there was something appealing about having the autonomy and knowledge to create something entirely new. Even though Tea had old routines, choreographed works, and decades of dances to inspire her work, she could make a routine that was uniquely hers. Dance in it of itself was improvisatory in nature – practically a requirement for the field. The same couldn't always be said about music.

Such flexibility and control of one's program was both exciting and nerve-wracking to comprehend.

It was this train of thought that a realization dawned on Yami. "Tea, do you choreograph the shows at the theatre as well?"

Tea snorted, almost amused by the question. She smirked as she looked back up at Yami. "Well, Pegasus sure as hell can't choreograph an entire cast so who else is he going to turn to?"

Yami narrowed his eyes, debating whether to ask his next question. Despite the sensitive topic, he figured he should at least find out the depths of their manager's poor priorities. "Please tell me you're being paid for choreographing every show."

Tea sighed, the heaviness of it giving Yami the answer he needed. Tea turned from her spot where she sat, standing as she took back her phone. She sat down next to Yami, flipping through his music in search of something. "You know Pegasus operates. When he got me to choreograph the first show, I just figured it would be a one-off thing that could help me move up the ladder."

Tea snorted as she read through the music slowly, as if searching for something. "What fools we were," she muttered, a grimace on her face.

Yami let out an annoyed huff, not disagreeing with her. When they started out, they were just thankful to have a job in their field. They had been willing to do anything to prove their value and worth. Yami knew as well as Tea that they were the big fish in a small pond. They were underpaid for their work and the sense of accomplishment after each performance grew more bitter and less satisfying.

_We need to get the hell out of Domino._

Yami was interrupted from his thoughts as he felt Tea nudge him with his shoulder. "Hey, Horowitz? Wanna get back to rehearsing?"

Yami let a small smile grow on his face, though he kept his own thoughts to himself. Brooding over their lot wouldn't get them anywhere – they had a future to figure out. "Sure thing, Ulanova. Shall we take it from the top?"

* * *

Despite their busy schedules to figure out their lives, Yami and Tea knew to take a break from their rehearsals. Even though they were making plans to leave Domino, Yami decided to take up Tea's suggestion and asked to join her Monster World campaign. Her party was more than happy to add on another player, although it took Yami some time to update the software so that it was playable on his computer.

Even though Yami could play from the comfort of his home if he wanted to, he always found MMO's easier in person when possible. Thankfully, his new party felt the same, usually planning to meet and hang out when possible. That's where he also learned that Joey and Tristan were avid gamers.

When they met up at Joey's place to game, Yami learned Ryou was their DM. And despite Ryou's attempt to create a compelling, intriguing story for them to embark on, Joey and Tristan had other plans. Instead, they were insistent on trying make money in the town's arena and score chicks. Tea and Duke were constantly trying to bring the group on task, but it was already a lost cause.

What's more, Tea failed to mention that her bard only sang George Michael songs for her cantrips and spells.

And Duke's character had this habit of trying to seduce every NPC, male or female. This backfired once already when he accidentally offended a goddess and had to be resurrected by the team.

And Ryou's character decided to skin a goblin and keep its pelt as a potential guise "just because."

_What the hell sort of campaign am I in right now?_

Compared to the other parties Yami had been part of back in college, they all seemed very tame compared to his present team. If he hadn't been in the same room as them, he would have assumed they were all drunk and just playing while shitfaced. To his surprise (horror), they were completely sober when they made all of these absurd decisions.

This entire campaign was nothing more than a giant troll challenge.

And yet, Yami didn't want to quit.

There was something about the complete absurdity of this party that compelled him to stick around. Sure, the campaign written was fun, but the dynamic of the team was unlike anything he had experienced. Monster World was a fun game, but even more fun if you played with the right people. And apparently, he had been playing with the wrong people all of these years.

Yami wasn't a large personality himself, not normally when he played. Ryou required him to choose a token at random to help develop a quirk as he couldn't think of a one nor a backstory for himself. He hadn't liked the smile on the albino's face when he picked out a golden pendant. Something about the kind smile seemed almost conniving in nature.

One weekend when Tristan and Joey were both out of town visiting family, Tea offered her apartment to host for the rest of the team. Naturally, Yami came over earlier to help set up for the get together and to also get some equipment in game. He got the sense that their DM wouldn't let their shenanigans go on for much longer without a nasty boss battle ahead.

Yami was sitting on the couch, looking over his character sheets when Tea laid down next to him, resting her head on his lap. He rolled his eyes as he shifted his laptop next to him. Tea didn't say anything, listening to something on her phone. The two stayed there for awhile, not speaking as the tried to figure out their tasks.

Eventually, Yami gave up, accepting that he was prepared as he could be in game. He could only hope that Ryou wasn't that much of a jackass, but he didn't hold his breath. He turned his attention back to Tea, his fingers wandering into her hair. A smile flicked across her face before fading. Based on her focused gaze, he suspected that she was thinking about her audition.

"Whatcha watching?" Yami asked, speaking softly so as to not disturb the quiet in her apartment.

Tea didn't respond immediately, her brows furrowed. "Yesterday's rehearsal."

Yami nodded, recalling their time at the studio yesterday. "That one went pretty well. The Prayer variation is coming along really nicely. We should be able to record that one soon."

"Yeah…" Yami raised an eyebrow, glancing down. Based on the scowl on Tea's face, Yami knew that she disagreed.

"… What's wrong?"

Tea pursed her lips, as if trying to figure it out as well. "It's… Well, it's still incomplete. The framework is all there, but the heart of it is missing. I feel like I can't find it. I don't know what I'm missing or what I need to do, but right now, my performance is bare bones."

Tea dropped the phone next to her, closing her eyes. She sighed as she tried to force herself to relax. "I know I was hesitant going into this, but I really want to do well. I really want to dance in a real, professional company. I want it so bad. But as I am now, it's not enough. My performance won't stand out."

Yami studied Tea, considering her words. He understood this issue from a musical perspective. This was often a question he had to face when taking on a new piece of music himself. As to what might help inspire Tea to make the last connections and complete her routine, he wasn't entirely sure.

"Well, if you're struggling to find the heart of your piece, what would you have done as a student to find?" Tea tried to smile, but it ended up looking more like a scowl. Yami could see her brows etched in confusion. She forced herself to sit up.

"That's the thing. I don't remember. I don't remember what I did to make each dance my own and truly master it." Tea sighed as she glanced away, her features faltering as she revealed her fear. "I'm scared that I never had what it took to begin with."

"Bull crap."

Yami blurted out the words without thinking. Tea snapped her head up, looking as surprised as Yami felt. Despite his impulsive reaction, he kept his expression calm and encouraging. Sure, he hadn't exactly meant to state his thoughts in that manner, but it didn't change how he felt about it.

"I- I'm sorry, what?" Tea asked, looking somewhat bewildered.

Yami glanced down to the paused video on Tea's phone. "The idea that you aren't good enough competitively is a load of rubbish. I've said it before – the fact that you've never auditioned for a famous ballet company has always baffled me because your skill and talent far surpasses that of any normal dancer."

Tea looked somewhat frustrated by his remark, her own exasperation starting to slip through. "You keep saying that and yet I still doubt it! Look- you're a great musician and I believe you could make it professionally if you wanted to. But I also know I'm not a pianist and I can't assess how accurate that statement is! So how can you expect me to just have blind confidence in myself when I know where I'm lacking in my own craft?"

The two didn't speak, Tea still glaring at her pianist. He could see that her body was tense, almost as if realizing how accusatory she sounded, but she remained still, almost defiant in her stance. Yami studied Tea, seeing the struggle play out across her face. It wasn't that Tea lacked confidence – she was all too aware of her own abilities. But it was that acute knowledge, that she was cognizant of her own shortcomings that made her reserved.

And in all fairness, Tea had a good point. Yami, while deeply knowledgeable in music and all aspects relating to his instrument, had only a passing knowledge of dance. Aside from his experience working in a theatre and dance, he would not be the type of person Tea would be trying to impress. It would be other dancers and choreographers and directors in her field of study who would dissect and pick apart her routine, sharply aware of the faults and flaws in her performance.

So what could Yami say now?

Perhaps Yami was inexperienced and didn't know all the ins and outs of being a dancer. But dancing was an art form. As an artist, Yami could give her the confidence that she, too, knew how to make beautiful art. Yami sighed, glancing away to the table next to the couch. "Do you remember when we first met?"

Tea thought for a moment, curious about what direction their conversation was taking. "Somewhat. We ran into each other at a competition way back, right?"

"The Richard A. Webber Fine Arts competition, four years ago."

"… Where are you going with this?"

Yami bit the inside of mouth, just below the lip so that the tension wouldn't show. "After I performed the first day, I went to check out some other performances including yours. Back then, I didn't particularly care to check out anything other than music performances, but the fact that you were younger than most people competing intrigued me."

Tea blinked, starting to remember that competition. "I think I recall that one. That was my first year in my masters program. I hadn't taken it too seriously because I didn't think I would place."

Yami chuckled, a small smile growing on his face as he reflected on the old memory. "I knew the moment you stepped on stage, you were different. The fact that you used the Sacrificial Dance by Stravinsky was compelling enough."

Tea let out a nervous chuckle, as if now fully remembering. "Oh my god, I completely forgot about that routine. That was one of the first I ever choreographed."

Yami nodded, the pieces falling into place. "That makes sense. Funnily enough, I am very well versed on the Rite of Spring as I accompanied the theater program when I was a master's student. So I was astounded when you blended Nijinsky's original choreography with your own, echoing the history of the dance while bringing something fresh and new to it."

Yami could feel Tea's eyes on him. He didn't trust himself to look at her yet, so he kept speaking. "You understood the weight and history of this ballet. The paid homage to choreographers past, but that didn't stop you from adding new elements. You passed on the story of a young woman to be sacrificed, her fear almost palpable on stage."

"Yet in the end, she embraced her fate, dancing until death took her."

Yami took a deep breath, finally looking back up to meet Tea's startled gaze. "I had accompanied many performances of Rite of Spring in the few years leading up to that competition. But you were the first time I didn't see a dancer performing the part. You were the young woman who resigned herself to a fate by the gods. For the first time, I saw the horror and beautiful of sacrificing your entire being through dance."

Tea didn't say anything, her face torn between confusion, shock, embarrassment, and something else that Yami couldn't read. Her lack of response urged Yami to keep speaking, his mouth suddenly dry. "I'm not a dancer, but I know when you dance, you're not performing a work of art. You  _become_  a work of art. And when I saw you that first time, that's when I knew-"

Yami stopped himself, realizing he was rambling. He snapped his head away, unable to meet Tea's blue eyes. If he glanced back, he knew he would be lost in them, adrift in an endless sea. Instead, he kept his gaze down, biting back any further remarks. It would probably seem creepy if he let out on that he had a crush on Tea for the last four years. This was supposed to be an encouraging talk, not a confession from The Police.

Yami felt a soft hand gently turning his face. He glanced back over, Tea taking hold of his face between her two hands. His breath stopped as she leaned forward, kissing him firmly. He wasn't entirely sure how he got to this point, but Yami wasn't going to complain about his good fortune by any means. He remembered to respond, kissing Tea back and not remaining stiff like a frozen sculpture.

Tea pulled away, a serious look on her face. Yami blinked, feeling nervous under her scrutinizing gaze. After a moment, a grin grew on her face, confident and almost devious. She chuckled, amused by Yami's stunned reaction. "Thank you."

Yami swallowed, licking his lips as he pulled himself together. "Y-Yeah? No problem..?"

Yami hated how he sounded so unsure, wishing he could melt from his spot and slink away. Tea chuckled, leaning forward to give him a brief kiss. "Aren't you so articulate?"

Yami rolled his eyes, disguising his shaky breath as an annoyed sigh. "Oh hush, you. This is my punishment for a little bit of honesty?"

Yami blinked as he felt himself be pushed down on the couch, his surprise quickly being replaced by intrigue as Tea hovered over him. "Well, you're little story gave me an idea that might just help me figure out my earlier problem. So thank you. But I haven't a clue how I might repay you for your help. Do you have any ideas?"

Yami chuckled, smirking back up at the rather devious dancer above him. He felt her hand trace along his chest, slowly following the slight contour of muscle underneath. He raised a hand to trace Tea's cheekbone, enjoying the amorous glow that enveloped her face. "I might have one or two that could be mutually satisfactory."

Tea grinned, leaning in closer, their bodies brushing each other. Her lips grazed against Yami's, causing a pleasant shiver to course down his spine. He leaned forward, desperate to bridge the gap between them.

Any further plans were put on halt as a soft knock interrupted their intimate moment. Yami thought he had only imagined the noise when he heard a familiar soft voice. "Tea! Ready to game? I made cookies!"

Tea shook her head, dropped it down so that her hair created a tent for the two disappointed artists. Yami chuckled, his hand dropping down on the couch. "Well, it looks like we'll have to continue this later."

Tea sat back, snorting as she glared at the door as if it were the reason for their interrupted plans. "Yeah. Damnit Ryou. I know he brought cookies and I shouldn't be mean, but would it kill him to be late to one of these things?"

Yami shrugged, sitting up as he adjusted his ruffled shirt. "The fates are cruel. We'll just have to get our sexual frustration out later."

"Damn right, we will."

Yami laughed, watching as Tea huffed and opened the door. Regardless of their current desires, all of that would have to be put on hold for Monster World.


	7. Chapter 7

Time was a strange creature to deal with. For so long, the years in Domino had dragged along, clawing at Yami's coat as he struggled to brush past the dreary city. He felt as if he couldn't escape its hold, like gray tendrils wrapping around his limbs until he found himself locked and unable to play the familiar ivory keys.

The last few weeks with Tea helped him rediscover his passion and love for music. He hadn't realized how much he loved music until he started aiding Tea for her audition. He hadn't noticed how disillusioned he felt with his own craft, the constant weight of a frustrating career that trapped him artistically and stifled his spirit.

Much like Tea had to rediscover how to become art and not just perform it, Yami felt himself do the same. So easy was it to go through the motions – to teach, to rehearse, to practice, to study, to compose. Through the constant repetition in his life, he had begun to feel the drain of it all. Making music was work, and he had inadvertently learned to separate work from pleasure. All of this was at the cost of losing sight of what he loved.

Yami loved music. He would always love music. But sometimes one had to be reminded why they loved music.

A couple weeks after their conversation on the couch, Tea wanted to do a full run of all of her audition pieces. There was something confident and assured in her gaze that Yami saw. Even if he didn't quite understand what she did differently, he could feel the air about her. From an outside view, the run didn't seem any different from any others prior.

But as Yami and Tea observed the recording on Yami's phone (as Tea's phone finally ran out of the storage), they both knew that Tea had found it. She no longer danced, but rather her very being became the dance.

A couple of days later, Tristan came by with his recording equipment as the three finally put together the long awaited video. The following day, DVDs were mailed out with Tea's portfolio and resume all across the country. From that point, there wasn't much else to do. They would have to wait to hear back. Until then, it was back to their daily grind.

* * *

The only thing that got Yami through rehearsals at Domino Theatre was knowing he would see Tea. Despite the hard part of getting her audition together now was over, the upcoming spring recital for their students was coming up and eating up more and more of their time. The lack of time and money was truly their constant struggle as artists.

So when Yami showed up for the first full rehearsal for the musical, cast and all, he was surprised when he didn't see Tea there.

Typically, Tea was good at contacting him and letting him know if she couldn't make it to rehearsal. Even then, that was a very rare occasion to begin with. She was one of the rare few that would beat Yami to the theatre, generally speaking. Yami had left his phone in his jacket pocket backstage, so he scoured the sea of faces, trying to spot his partner in crime.

"Hello Yami! Ready for the start of a new season?"

Yami turned to face his ever-hyper director. He barely spared a moment to glance over Pegasus before returning to his original goal of finding Tea. "I suppose. Where's Tea? I thought we were going over the big dance number in the first act today."

Pegasus laughed out loud, an odd look flashing across his smiling visage. "Tea won't be coming to rehearsal, I'm afraid."

"Did she text you?"

Pegasus rested his hands on his hip, glancing out at the sea of performers. "Well no… She didn't make the cut."

Yami blinked, thinking he misheard the silver-haired man. Based on the completely straight face Pegasus still wore, he realized he heard right. "I'm sorry – what?"

"Well, you know these things do happen-"

"I'm sorry, that's not what I meant." Yami glanced away, a cheerfully, light tone quickly disappearing as he snapped back. "What I meant was 'what the fuck are you talking about?'"

For once, Pegasus's cheerful demeanor disappeared, shock quickly taking its place. Despite the intense burning anger Yami felt at the moment for the horribly moronic decision of his director, it still felt good to know he could elicit this sort of reaction out of him. After years of dealing with his bullshit, Yami finally started to feel something grow beyond his frustration. For once, he was starting to feel angry.

Pegasus tried to dig himself out of the hole he got himself into. He gathered himself, a stern look crossing over him as he finally decided to be serious.  _About damn time._  "Yami, watch your tone. This is a more complicated matter than a simple audition. It's my job to gather a cast for the show and there are a lot of factors in deciding said-cast."

"Then let's talk about qualifications for this community show! Did she not have enough theater backing for the show? She's only been acting for over a decade now! Or perhaps her dancing wasn't quite up to snuff? I mean, how could it when she has a master's degree from one of the best art schools on the east coast?"

Yami was unable to bite back the flood of sarcasm that spilled over. He was far beyond being salty. He was royally pissed at Pegasus's stupidity and he wouldn't bite his tongue back any longer.

Pegasus narrowed his eyes, his own frustration and annoyance slipping through. "I never said that she wasn't a good performer. But that doesn't mean she is a good fit for what our theater is trying to be."

"And what exactly are you trying to make the Domino City Theatre into, Mr. Pegasus? I'd love to know!" Yami snapped back, cynicism dripping in his voice.

"I'm trying to make the theatre more accessible to the public!"

"By dropping your best dancer?"

"I'm allowing other people to grow and mature as artists."

"By dropping your best dancer, you're encouraging others to emulate what can be achieved? Sure. That makes perfect sense. Just drag this old building's reputation through the mud while you're at it."

"Damn it, Yami! Will you drop it? I can't afford to pay for some damn extras in the cast. It's a win-win for the theatre in the end!"

"I'm sorry-  _what_?" Yami hissed out, a jolt of shock catching him upon this accidental revelation. He could tell by the way Pegasus swore under his breath that he hadn't meant to say that last part out loud. Well, the cat was out of the bag and Yami intended to know what the hell was going on.

Pegasus let out a loud sigh, studying the irate pianist in front of him. He stepped to the side, gesturing Yami to follow. He debated refusing, forcing Pegasus to explain there, but for some reason, he obliged and followed Pegasus away from the gathered crew. He could see the odd looks he was receiving from the various members.

Several yards now separating them from their curious audience, Pegasus leaned back, running a hand back through his hair. "It's nothing personal against Tea. She's a lovely person and a talented dancer. But there's been budget cuts and the turn out to our shows isn't enough for us to break even for our production value. So I had to make some cuts as to what roles should become unpaid."

Yami had heard these arguments before. He had run this circle many times with many different directors. It was the constant struggle of the theater and arts program across the nation. Sacrifices had to be made. It certainly did explain the sudden increase of new faces in the cast on stage. Perhaps several years before, Yami might have been a bit more forgiving of Pegasus's desperate actions.

But Yami had been in the business long enough to know how one builds a strong arts program. You'll always be tight on cash, and reducing the quality of your performance by driving off your best performers was not the way to do it. It was through publicity and reaching out and building that community support. It took more than sponsors and popular shows. It was about inviting the community to become a part of the program.

And it most definitely was not whittling down your staff and not paying your faithful employees.

Perhaps this was made more obvious by the fact that Tea was highly marketable and definitely deserved a salary for her work. Either way, someone had to fight her case. "So you chose to cut your choreographer? Don't think I didn't forget the fact that Tea's been programming your shows for free these last couple of years. So how is cutting her now suddenly economical and beneficial to your theater program?"

"We'll make it work. It's unreasonable to expect that I pay the artists for every show. I offered her the opportunity to keep choreographing our shows for the experience and exposure, but she declined. She's the one who ended up turning it down – it was her decision to leave."

" _You asked her to work for you without pay. How else did you expect her to respond?"_

Yami wasn't sure why he was getting so angry. He wasn't one for yelling, but he couldn't help how his volume kept rising, like a pot reaching its boiling point. He knew it was pointless to argue on Pegasus. It always was. In the end of the day, Pegasus would do what he wanted and not take the advice of those around him.

That was why the theater was going under as it was.

Pegasus crossed his arms, standing firm in his position. Unsurprising, he didn't see Yami's concerns as valid. "Look – what's done is done. What happens between management and Tea stays between us. It doesn't concern you. Let's just focus on this season and we'll talk finances and salaries another day."

Yami snorted, glancing away. In typical Maximillion fashion, he was just going to sweep this under the rug and not talk about it. If anybody asked, just glance over the issue as Tea chose not to come back. Yami suspected Pegasus only told him as much as he knew his closeness to the dancer, but most likely because he miscalculated what his reaction would be. As usual, Pegasus was trying to think of his theater as his business.

 _Pegasus chose the wrong field to aspire for a thriving business._  Unless one worked up to an established arts society or organization, most small theaters and music ensembles would remain so. Yami had been aware of that when he took this job. He knew that Domino City Theater would never ascend to the heights of famous philharmonics of the larger cities. If it ever did, it would take decades of careful structuring and a strong community base willing to back it.

Pegasus had no knowledge in either of those tasks nor did he possess a desire to learn the necessary skills.

Yami had tried for many years to help Pegasus. He had tried to meet him in the middle and suggest how to help the theater program grow. It's a tricky situation to do so, but most stemmed from understanding your community surrounding the theater. Pegasus had no desire to learn and build a connection with the community. Most sponsors last for a couple of seasons before leaving, feeling a lack of connection or value by the theater they're supporting.

Yami watched Pegasus suffocate the program here. Yami understood that he couldn't let it suffocate him any longer.

"Save the talk, Pegasus. We don't need that conversation."

Pegasus blinked, somewhat confused by Yami's stern, almost scolding tone. He raised a silver eyebrow, arms crossed as he observed the short virtuoso. "Oh. Well, I'm glad to see you're being reasonable about this."

Yami smirked, pulling out his set of keys. He took the time to fish two out in particular – ones that allowed him access into the theater hall. "I am. For once, I'm being sensible and doing what I should have done years to go."

Yami took Pegasus's hand and forced the two worn, bronze keys in his hand. "Consider this my resignation. The boom box and album CD should be somewhere in the booth if you need musical accompaniment. I hope you have a great rehearsal and good luck with your theater program."

Despite how aggravating the conversation had been, the stunned and horrified look on Pegasus's face gave Yami the slightest twinge of satisfaction. He didn't waste a second longer on the man who had wasted so much of his time. He walked back onto the stage, grabbing his binder of music. If anyone tried to catch his attention, he wouldn't have noticed. He was busy calling Tea up to check in on how his recently fired girlfriend was doing.

* * *

When Yami went to go see Tea that evening, she had moved past being upset and sad over losing her job to pissed as hell. In all fairness, Yami felt like she had every right to be given how horribly she had been treated. He came bearing Ben & Jerry's and the last season of Game of Thrones.

Watching people stab each other helped lift their spirits.

Strangely enough, the two not working at the theatre didn't feel like a loss but rather an opportunity. Whether it had been bad fortune and fate, they felt no reason to tether themselves to Domino any longer. Yami felt even more determined to make their move a reality. Without having to discuss it, both were in it for the long hall.

Perhaps it was presumptuous to uproot his life for his girlfriend, but Yami had no qualms about doing so. He had moved to this city with Tea – he would leave Domino with her as well.

Several weeks later as they approached the end of spring, Tea started hearing back from touring companies. There were the inevitable rejected applications, but they were thrilled when four touring companies wanted her to come in for an in-person interview and audition. Yami felt more hopeful and excited as Tea left for the week, travelling around the Northeast to audition in various cities.

Yami held down the home front, occupying himself with his students' spring recital and applying for jobs in the cities that Tea had heard back from. It seemed their move would be inevitable, yet Yami knew he would have to figure out his job situation soon once Tea got the final word back. Everything was happening so fast and Yami found himself a little unprepared for the situation.

He eventually had to put aside job apps temporarily as the upcoming spring recital ate up his time. Since quitting his job at the theatre, Yami decided to change the recital location to a local church that he played at before. The hall was spacious and their grand piano was a stellar instrument. They had been more than willing to accommodate Yami's studio.

This seemed like a better alternative than answering one of Pegasus's never-ending phone calls asking him to come back.

Yami felt some satisfaction in that Pegasus realized his mistake too late. Even if he promised Yami and Tea their jobs back, Yami knew he wouldn't take it. He had wasted him time at that theatre for too long and dealt with the stupid bureaucratic decisions of Pegasus for even longer. He was going to focus on his solo career more and pursue what he actually loved to do.

Yami contemplated all these things, sitting out in the crowd as he listened to his student run through her piece. Rebecca was at the age where she was starting to memorize her music. He listened to her play the Clementi sonatina that she had been working hard on the last few months. She had come a long ways since March. Though only a freshman in high school, he could see her becoming a stellar musician should she wish to pursue the field further.

He smirked as he watched her unnatural composure and concentration while playing. Rebecca was one of his more confident students, though he did notice that she tended to tense up during the actual performance. In today's final dress rehearsal, she seemed more relaxed than she had in weeks previous. Perhaps this will be the changing point where overcomes this last hurdle.

Yami was broken away from his thoughts as Rebecca finished, perking up from her seat as she mimed a bow. "How did I sound?"

Yami nodded, allowing a smile to grow on his face. "You sounded great. Just don't rush those technical bits in the third movement – you know you can do it. Don't need to push yourself there."

Rebecca nodded, agreeing with Yami as she glanced back over the section. Yami felt a strange sense of nostalgia as he watched Rebecca look over her music. She had come a long way in the few years he's taught her. If there was one thing he was going to miss about Domino, it would be his students. They had been a light in a dreadfully gray and dreary town. Their unending joy and excitement for music still filled Yami with pride.

Yami stood up, walking up next to the piano. "You're going to do great tomorrow. You've improved so much this past year – you should be proud."

Rebecca, in a rare show of humility, ducked her head down, a shy smile on her face. "Thanks. I feel ready for tomorrow. I kinda feel excited too. Is that normal?"

Yami chuckled. "Yeah. That's a good sign. It means you'll keep your wits about you when performing."

Rebecca nodded, standing up as she went to pack up her music. She paused as she glanced back at Yami. "So… will I keep taking lessons with you until you move or…?"

Yami had already contacted his students parents to let them know he would be leaving Domino soon so they could plan accordingly. Though his exact departure day wasn't set, he wanted the parents to know so they could figure how who to continue lessons with. "That's up to your parents. I'll keep teaching you if you want, but if you want to move on to a new teacher for the fall, I won't be offended."

Before Rebecca could respond, the church doors open as an elderly man went to go meet them. Yami didn't recognize the man as Rebecca's parents, so he assumed that he was a grandparent. Based on Rebecca's unsurprised expression, it was a fair guess.

"Be here an hour before and make sure your nails are cut before tomorrow. Those trills will be a pain if you don't otherwise." Yami instructed, chuckling at Rebecca pouted at the command. Despite her passion for piano, her annoyance at basic self-care and preparation for the instrument annoyed her.

"You better listen to him, Rebecca. He looks like someone who knows what he's doing," the older gentleman jested. Rebecca just rolled her eyes. "I know, grandpa!"

Yami smirked before facing the newly appeared guardian. "Forgive me – my name is Yami Mutou. As you might have guessed, I'm Rebecca's piano teacher."

The elder gentleman placed out a hand for Yami to shake. "Arthur Hawkins. Professor of violin out in Cincinnati. Rebecca has told me quite a bit about you. Says you're a piano virtuoso."

Yami raised an eyebrow before flicking his eyes towards his student. He wasn't sure which one of them was blushing more, though he suspect she felt embarrassed at being put on the spot. At the same time, it shouldn't surprise him that his student would talk about her piano teacher with her grandfather who was a professional musician. "Oh? I'm not sure about virtuoso. I'm not one now, but I'd like to get back into performing."

"Hence why you're moving?"

Yami chuckled, amused as Rebecca walked slowly away.  _Looks like the cat's out of the bag._  "Sort of. My… girlfriend taking a new job, so I'm moving with her. Going to set my roots again, so to speak."

"Any particular ensembles you've looked at?" Arthur asked, leaning back slightly on his cane.

Yami furrowed his eyes, trying to remember where he had submitted applications recently. He wasn't sure why, but he felt relaxed around Arthur. The elder gentleman reminded him a lot of his own grandfather. "I'm looking at ensembles in the four cities we might be moving to. It's still early to be honest, so it's hard to make a certain move. Though, funnily enough, Cincinnati is one of the cities that might be on our radar."

Arthur's grin widened, a knowing look crossed his face. "How familiar are you with chamber ensemble?"

"Quite familiar. I used to be part of a wind trio back when I was a doctorate student, but I haven't had a chance to get back into it since getting my degree." Yami smiled lightly as he thought back on his days working in their ensemble comprised of flute, bassoon, and piano. It certainly had been very enjoyable, and Yami wouldn't mind getting back into something like that.

Then again, he was looking at doing something not like the Domino theatre. So any step in the right direction was a huge plus in his book. Whether it was a large orchestra or a small chamber ensemble, anything was fair game.

"If you're considering Cincinnati, you should audition for the piano trio housed at the university. Myself and another cellist are in it, but the piano professor is looking to retire at the end of the season. The other piano professor has too much on her plate to consider, so you could definitely audition to be an artist in residence."

Yami blinked, not sure if he had heard everything correctly. It took him a half-second to realize the implications of what Arthur was asking, his heart stopping at the offer. "Wait – seriously?"

"Dead serious. Rebecca kept talking about you to me and I got curious and decided to take a look online to figure out who you were. And might I say, your education and competition record is might impressive. It would be tough competition for the chamber position, mind you, but I imagine a musician like you doesn't mind a little competition." Arthur's smile was reassuring and confident, but Yami caught the gleam in his eyes. The sharp edge to it that Yami saw in the eyes of a musician.

Arthur had read him right. Yami did love competition. And he was never one to back down.

Even still, perhaps this was the foot in the door he needed in his future career. They often say it wasn't what you know, but who you know. Skill and talent were important, but making connections was equally important. It would be difficult to try kicking off his own solo career, but it was tricky finding a spot in an ensemble. But perhaps the right recommendation and support could be exactly what he needed.

Even if he auditioned and didn't make it into the string trio, there would be other opportunities to consider. He had found an unlikely ally in the grandfather of one of his student – perhaps Arthur could help him establish his career should he move to Cincinnati.

Either way, Yami felt as if his job hunt just became more… interesting.

"Well, I'm definitely interested in what you're describing. Would you be able to tell me more about the various music you'd like to cover in this trio setting?"


	8. Chapter 8

A week later, Yami stood at the train station, waiting for a certain arrival. After his students' recital, the time seemed to drag. He had given his students a week off (for all the students who were returning), but that had been a foolish idea. He had too much free time without teaching to eat up his time. He became sharply aware of how much time he spent with Tea and how hollow and empty his life felt without her there. She was due back (finally) on this late May evening, and Yami couldn't wait.

Tea had called him before leaving, mentioning that she wanted to talk to him when she got back to Domino. Though her tone indicated that it was nothing bad, Yami felt a slight trepidation. He realized he had his own thoughts to discuss with Tea – most of them career related.

Perhaps this was rash, but he felt that they should leave Domino as soon as possible. Preferably in the next month.

The fact that Yami thought this was a good idea clearly showed his skewed logic. Technically, they shouldn't move until Tea heard back regarding a job. But Yami knew that the best way to throw themselves into the art scene was to be there physically. They could send all of their applications from afar, but if they really wanted to make this move a reality, they would have to commit.

Yami was partially counting on Tea reprimanding such an idea and refusing such a stupid and rash decision. He was also counting on Tea to feel the same way and commit to his stupid idea. So he had no idea what to expect.

Yami glanced back at the clock above the station wall. It was just past 6:30, which meant Tea's train should have arrived and she should be coming through the station soon. He figured once she arrived, they would load her stuff back in Yami's car and go grab something to eat. Perhaps it would be best to discuss their thoughts over dinner. This hardly seemed like something one could discuss while loading up a car.

Yami's thoughts were cut short as he saw a crowd of people flooding through the gates. He glanced up at the panels, noticing that Tea's train was listed among the arrivals. He scoured the sea of travellers, looking for the familiar face of the one he cared about most.

He spotted Tea, the world seemingly ceasing to exist around her. Her sky blue eyes gazed around the rundown station. Yami felt his heart swell at the sight of her, stepping forward to meet his girlfriend. He raised a hand to catch her attention. Tea spotted him, her confusion disappearing as a bright smile took its place.

Her radiant beauty still stunned Yami. He couldn't keep his feet from rushing forward, running to meet Tea. She met him halfway, racing to meet him in the train station, emotions bursting through her elated expression. They crashed together, Yami holding her close as he wrapped his arms around her waist. The few inches she had on him didn't seem to matter – he just needed to be close to her again.

Tea let out a shaky breath, trembling slightly with relief. Yami understood this release. He hadn't realized how hard it would be separated from Tea. He hadn't realized how excited and thrilled he was to be with her again. It felt as if an emotional weight had been lifted off of them.

Yami gathered himself, smiling at his own sentimentality. He didn't pull away, opting to run his fingers along Tea's back. "How was your trip?"

Tea hummed lightly, leaning into his touch. "Good. I have a lot to fill you in on."

Yami chuckled. "Yeah. Me too. Want to grab a bite and talk?"

"Hell yeah. The only good thing Domino has is its burgers."

Yami chuckled, stepping back as he took Tea's bag. The two left the Amtrak station, setting off for Burger Palace. Yami had often frequented the place with his cousin, who had a certain affinity for the traditional American cuisine.

To Yami's surprise, Tea didn't talk about her trip immediately, insisting on hearing how Yami was doing. He had expected her to ramble on about her auditions, but he obliged and filled her in. If he had to guess, she wanted to save that discussion for when they had food. And based on the contemplative look he caught on her face, Yami suspected that she too had her own big news to discuss with him.

After they got their order and sat down to eat, Yami unwrapped his burger, turning back to a more serious topic. "How did your auditions go?"

Tea nodded as she finished chewing her bite. "I think pretty well. It's hard to say, but I feel like I hit all the marks I needed to." She paused as took a sip, her brows furrowed. "If anything, I think the one thing they were worried about was my age."

Yami blinked, somewhat confused by this. "Wait, why would this be an issue?"

Tea shrugged, pealing back the wrapper on her burger. "Well, dancers don't exactly have the longest career. We're only as good as our bodies will last. So I have to make the most of this opportunity while I still can."

Yami stopped chewing, forcing himself to swallow hard at the remark. He hadn't thought about it too much, but what Tea said made sense. He hadn't even thought about the limitations her own body placed on her future. Sure, musicians faced the same risk with arthritis and other ailments as the body grew older, but that would likely be many more years.

The idea that Tea's professional career could be over before she reached thirty was a stunning and terrifying thought.

Yami watched Tea, who continued to eat without any sign of distress. Perhaps he was overreacting. Tea had known this when she decided to become a dancer, just as Yami was aware that there might come a day where he could no longer play music. Worrying about those times wouldn't do them any good. They had to make the most of their situation at hand and make their future.

_Still the same plan as always._

Yami leaned back in his seat, taking his milkshake with him as he took a sip. "So you said there something else you wanted to discuss with me?"

Tea nodded, her eyes shifting down to the table for a moment. Yami raised an eyebrow, watching as Tea fiddled with her bracelet for a moment, a nervous habit he had come to know. After a moment, she let go of the trinket and sat up, a determined look on her face. She took a deep breath as she almost glared at Yami.

"Okay. So hear me out. I know I haven't heard back on the job front and we need to wait to hear back before we can do anything. But I think we should leave Domino."

Yami froze, staring at Tea for a few long seconds. He felt confused as he tried to process his own thought process suddenly being verbalized by Tea. He… hadn't expected this suggestion from Tea, but at the same time, he wasn't surprised.

His apparent lack of response compelled Tea to keep talking. "I know this might seem preemptive, but I think it'll be easier to keep auditioning and get you started on the job front if we make the move. We can only do so much from afar. We don't have to move immediately, but I think we should start making plans. I mean- if you're comfortable that is. We can stay, or-"

Yami chuckled, reaching across the table to take Tea's hand. Her rambling tangent came to a halt, an embarrassed blush consuming her cheeks. Somehow, that made her look even more adorable.  _Looks like we're both hopelessly awkward together. It must be true love._

Yami smiled warmly, allowing his own relief to be shown. "Well, I don't know how you read my mind, but I'm glad we're on the same page."

Tea's surprised look faded as she started laugh, a large grin taking its place. Her laughter was contagious as Yami started to chuckle. They would have to figure out many details and many plans would need to be made. But Yami was glad that they somehow came to the same conclusion.

Their conversation dissipated into the usual fare, Tea filling Yami in on her week away across the northeast. Yet Yami felt a strange peace. Despite the chaos in their life, he knew that they were finally in the homestretch. Soon, they would leave Domino behind and find their new home.

* * *

With a goal in mind, Yami and Tea didn't have a lot of time to get ready. Time was of the essence. They gave themselves a deadline of mid-July to make the move, find a place to live and have jobs.

Needless to say, it was rather stress-inducing and a lot to do in such a short period of time. But they were artists – they were accustomed to such pressures.

Tea was over at Yami's place, the two waiting for a potential piano moving company to drop by. It had been awhile since they had to move into a new location, and Yami had forgotten how taxing the entire process was the last time he did this. The most headache-inducing part of the move was finding a piano moving company for his own baby grand. For such a fine instrument, making sure it was delivered safely to their new home was of the upmost importance.

Of course, they also had to find their new home as well. Just minor details.

Yami was boxing up things in the living room, the room nearly vacant as he made dents in the process over time. Tea came out from the kitchen, holding her laptop. Yami didn't pay much attention as he put away a few of his video games until Tea leaned in next to him. "Hey Yami, would this be a job you'd be interested?"

Before Yami could look, he felt a wry smile grow on his face. "I thought you were looking up apartments?"

"I am. But cookies happened and here I am now."

Yami chuckled, leaning over Tea's shoulder to take a quick look. It was a full-time accompanist position at a university. Perhaps not something he would want to do long-term, but it would be a nice paying gig and a foot in the door. "Maybe. Can you send me the link?"

Tea nodded, slowly starting to walk away as she continued to type, balancing her laptop on one arm. Yami returned to storing away his game collection. He knew Yugi would mourn the loss of his gaming partner now that Yami was leaving Domino. It looked like Yami would have to dust off his old Duel Monsters online account – he and Yugi used to play that all the time back when he was in school.

Yami smiled to himself, thinking of the ways he would keep in touch with friends in Domino. It was only as they were getting ready to leave that Yami started to notice all of the things he would miss about the city. He hadn't thought that would happen, yet he felt a strange bittersweet feeling about leaving this dreary city. Perhaps it wasn't the city itself, but the people he would miss most.

Still, Yami wouldn't consider changing course now. He felt certain about this course, and the fact that Tea was equally determined strengthened his resolve. There was no question in either of their minds that this was what they wanted. And what's stranger is that this decision to move forward together a joined unit was never a question. In the end, it was what felt right for them.

Yami was distracted by his thoughts as he heard Tea's phone ring. He watched as she put down her laptop on the couch, pulling the phone out of the front pocket on her skirt. "Hello?"

Yami started to tune out, not wanting to eavesdrop. He heard Tea stepping away from the living room into the kitchen. It could be a coincidence, but there was a chance that this was one of the touring companies she had auditioned for. Though Yami was dying to know, he knew better than to follow Tea around until he got an answer.

_Unlike a certain cousin of mine._

Yami didn't mind the nosey attitude of his cousin too much. If anything, Tea herself enjoyed prying into matters as well, but always did so discreetly. Perhaps it was her discretion and tact that was most appreciated.  _Yugi is obvious in how nosey he is. Tea has a certain poise and discretion about her when it comes to life's twists and turns._

This thought was quickly interrupt by a loud squeal. The noise jolted Yami to his sense, startling him as he stood up abruptly. Any generous thoughts he had about Tea being composed were quickly scratched as he raced to the kitchen. He half expected to find a dead rodent or something in his kitchen based on the loud noise emitting from the room.

Instead, he found him caught in an ambush, Tea nearly tackling him to the ground.

"Christ! Tea! What's going on?" Yami blurted out, struggling to keep upright as Tea held him tight.

She pulled away, her face beaming. "I got the job!"

Yami felt his heart pause, the blood rushing through his ears. He felt a smile crack on his face, matching the radiant smile on Tea's face. "You- the job… You got it?"

Tea nodded her head vigorously, her face struggling to keep her composure. She finally broke again, an excited squeal escaping. Yami started to laugh, a large grin on his face as he reached his arms out to hug Tea. She came rushing forward, the two laughing and smiling. Yami couldn't help the stupid grin on his face. He felt happy – too happy.

Tea did it. She landed the position. She was  _incredible_.

Yami pulled away enough so that he could kiss Tea. The kiss was forceful, shocking Tea before she met his advances. He wanted to express how much joy and pride he felt in her. He wanted to verbalize how incredible she was and tell her how much she deserved everything that she had worked for. He wanted to show how much he loved her, now and always.

But he couldn't think of the words to say it. So his lips found hers, breaking away to pull her in for another hug. Yami could only hope that he could continue to show her that she was worth everything and more to him every day.

Tea pulled away, raising her hands to brush her bangs aside. She rested her hands on her cheeks, flushed with excitement. She was still smiling brilliantly, like the dawn breaking through a cloudy morning. "I can't believe it. I actually did it! Oh my god! Okay – what do we do now? Should we focus on an apartment? Shit, I need to get back to that-"

Yami started laughing again, amused by her frazzled attempts at making plans. "We can plan later – let's go celebrate! I'll call Joey and the gang and we'll go out."

Tea blushed, an embarrassed look on her face. "Wait, really? I mean, shouldn't we be focusing on what happens next? And technically, I still have to do a drug test and not fail that."

Yami rolled his eyes, taking Tea's hands in his. He didn't look down at their hands, keeping his eyes focused on Tea's. He wouldn't be bashful anymore. No more hiding his thoughts and feelings to serve his pride. He would be honest and open and tell Tea what she needed to hear.

"We'll have time to figure things out, but we have today to celebrate the good news. You've worked so hard for this and you've earned it – why not allow one night to celebrate all you've done? You've put forth so much effort and hard work and you're finally seeing the fruits of your work. Be proud because I'm certainly proud of you."

Tea's glowing expression trembled, tears catching in the corner of her eyes. The sight caused a moment of panic in Yami before he realized they weren't tears of sadness but of happiness. He caught them before they fell, brushing them away as Tea gathered herself. As he did so, Tea leaned forward for a brief kiss, her lips dragging gently against his. Yami felt his breath catch, trembling at the soft wisp that pulled at his heart.

"I suppose you're right… for once." Tea sighed, a soft murmur in her voice.

Yami grinned back, leaning his forehead against hers. "And for what it's worth, I think you'll pass your drug test. Just don't eat any poppy seed bagels before going in and you're gold."

Tea laughed at that, her head snapping back. She pulled Yami in for another hug, resting her cheek against his forehead. Yami scowled, trying to shake away his golden bangs out of his eyes but failing to do so. Tea finally decided to be merciful, stepping back to brush them aside for him, smiling at the pout he gave her.

"So, shall I give the boys a ring? I believe you mentioned going out tonight to get drunk and celebrate."

Yami chuckled. "I said celebrate, not liquor up."

"Celebrate, liquor up – same difference."

Yami rolled his eyes, grabbing his phone as he started to dial Joey's number. He had a feeling tonight would truly test the limits of his liver and mental acuity.


	9. Epilogue

Yami stared at the blank pages before him. The irony of being a professional musician was how important it was for him to not make any sound at times. There were entire pieces where a single instrument would only have ten seconds to play and then be silent for the rest of the forty-minute symphony.

And despite Yami being one of the several pianist pulled in for performances with Tea's new ballet company, he found he often sat quietly waiting for these cues.

Yami smiled, flipping the page to the finale. In Tchaikovsky's  _Sleeping Beauty_ , there was a piano part. However, the piano was tacet for the first two acts. It wasn't until the final act that Yami finally got to play and even then, it wasn't much. That didn't bother him too much. Despite some of the trickier arpeggios, the music fell comfortably in his range. It was a nice change of pace from his usual repertoire with his piano trio. Getting paid was a bonus as well.

The last nine months since moving to Cincinnati had been increasingly busy. Between moving into a new apartment, auditioning for various ensembles, and performing at local churches and studios to meet his new community and find potential students, Yami had his work cut out. It was difficult to reestablish himself. However, thanks to a well-placed connection in Rebecca's grandfather, Yami quickly found his place in the new city.

It was also thanks to Arthur's encouragement that Yami not only auditioned for his piano trio, but was offered the position. It was during their rehearsals that Yami learned that Arthur was mighty ambitious when it came to their trio repertoire. Despite Yami's efforts to keep learning music and hone his skills, he found himself relearning how to ride the bike with the rep list Arthur comprised. Their first performance that fall had included trios by Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninoff, and Schubert.

Their performance was just shy of two hours without intermission. Yami hadn't expected such a demanding list so early in the season, but plunged himself in no less. It helped that his starting studio was much smaller than in Domino – as the new artist in residence at the university, he took only a handful of students from the previous piano professor who had retired.

Whether this position would be a temporary or permanent one was up to Yami to prove. He intended to make it permanent.

Despite the rigor and demand, Yami lived for the challenge. Arthur noticed the drive and ambition in Yami, seeing his determination and focus. Instead of cracking under pressure, Arthur knew that Yami would rise to the challenge. That was why he programmed such difficult music for their first premiere performance with their new pianist.

Needless to say, Arthur was Yami's kind of musician.

With his new career as an artist in residence and member of the Queen City Piano Trio, Yami found his time was consumed by the things he loved. His days were spent with passionate musicians who sought to improve their art and shape the music into something new. He worked with undergrad students learning not only technical prowess but artistic expression and individualism in their music. He was surrounded by a community serious about music and a constant inspiration to his work.

And more than that, he spent his days with Tea.

Yami smiled, eyes intent as he watched the conductor move abruptly to the finale. He still had a good many measures to wait, but his time was quickly approaching. Perhaps previously in his old job, he would have tried to steal a glance at Tea on stage. This time, Yami decided to behave. Besides – he had sat backstage during the first two acts watching the performance on stage.

Yami heard the flutes in their trill, knowing his cue was coming up quickly. He jumped in fervently, a brief few measures before waiting again. Despite the intensity, Yami knew to save his energy – the real challenge came after the finale with the Apothéose – the true ending of the ballet.

Yami played the last few octaves, racing towards the grand finale end before transitioning to the true finale. The trumpet fanfare led the ensemble, resonating like a kings processional. The marcato, stately manner set the tone of regal splendor and grace. Yami struck the keys, using the pedal just long enough to catch the harmonics in each chord before quickly transitioning.

Despite the focus and awareness of the professional performance, Yami couldn't help the small smile on his face. His heart was racing steady and fast, yet his fingers never missed their mark. He held himself with confidence, assured of the notes before him. And more than that, he felt a lingering feeling of wonder and awe, to be part of such a fantastic assembly of artists and performers.

Yami felt humbled by the opportunity to play with this orchestra. He felt overwhelmed by the growth in his own life. He felt thankful for music and all the people he loved who were a part of making music.

Shortly afterwards, Yami found the piece reaching its final conclusion. It was always too soon, Yami wanting to linger on and keep playing. But that wasn't how the show was done – the curtain had to close. But not before the audience expressed their approval of the performance.

Yami finally caved to the temptation and glanced up to the stage. Old habits died hard, he supposed. The general cast filed to the front of the stage, line after line, to bow to the audience. Yami knew that Tea would be in the third line of dancers. It was strange the things he would pick up in the numerous rehearsals, most of which centered around his girlfriend.

These odd thoughts were set aside as he saw Tea run up, her hair done up tight in a bun. She smiled as she curtsied with the audience. Yami smiled when he saw her flick her eyes towards the pit, stealing a glance at the pianist. He chuckled as his smile widened, the two sharing a secret look before returning to their respective roles.

Yami met with Tea after the performance. They likely would either go to one of the after parties being held or go grab a drink with friends. Some things never changed from city to city. Even as they packed up their gear to leave, they could hear the smatterings of the audience, claps and cheers from a performance well done. They would do this ballet several more times before the season was over, the repetitive life of the artist.

And Yami couldn't wait. It was one of the things he signed up for after all.

The time following the curtain call was a blur as he walked out with Tea. They left the theatre, fingers linked together. Yet Yami found that his heart still remained on the stage with the music and people he loved. He hoped he would never stop playing music. He prayed that music would always continue to play on.

He wanted to play music forever. He wanted Tea to always be dancing by his side.

The two loves of his life were forever intertwined.

"Hey, Yami? You doing okay there? You're looking pretty spacey." Tea teased, bumping Yami with her shoulder.

He shook his head, chuckling at himself. "I'm fine. Thinking too much. But a good kind of thinking."

"Well, you think you can put your deep thoughts on hold for the evening? You know how anal Kaiba gets when we're late."

Yami rolled his eyes as he imagined the too serious technician. How he managed to manage a theatre was beyond Yami given his short-tempered personality. "You bring up a fair point. Let's go get him drunk so we have one less thing to worry about."

"I like the way you think. Let's go!"

Yami smiled, letting Tea pull him towards their car as they went to go meet up with their friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Leave your thoughts and feedback in the comments below if you feel so compelled :)


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